Finding My Way Back To You
by Sunrise-Rose1023
Summary: AU. Dean and Melinda are having problems in their marriage. When their daughters start being affected, they decide to spend some time apart. But when one of Dean and Melinda's worst fears comes true...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there! Thanks for taking the time to read this story. I appreciate it more than you will ever know. Please, feel free to drop me a review or message and let me know what you think. I welcome the comments, the criticism. **

**This story is a little different. I'm trying my best to make it a 3-shot, which, if you've read any of my other stories, you'll find I have a problem with condensing. My other stories are all 10-plus chapters. I've got like 3 other stories in the works right now, so if you're a follower of one of those, I'm sorry! I'm trying my best to generate some more chapters for you, but I just keep hitting a wall. Plus, I'm in college, x-ray school, and finals are here and I'm just a terrible person. But I am doing my best to finish those up! Sometimes it helps if I take a break, and this little story just popped into my head, in class yesterday, actually.**

**I'm using characters from my favorite shows, Supernatural and Charmed, but in this story, they're not magical. This is an AU. Sam and Dean are not hunters, Melinda and the Halliwells are not witches. The first couple of sections don't really give much information into who is speaking, but gives some background. Once you find out who is narrating, hopefully it will make sense. I hope you enjoy, and happy reading!**

****Nothing from Charmed or Supernatural belongs to me.****

* * *

He'd been gone for a month.

Well, "gone" wasn't exactly the right word. "Gone" usually meant something horrible, something she never wanted to think about. He had moved out a month ago.

It had been for the best. All they could do these days was fight. The kids had stopped laughing, started quietly tiptoeing around, always sure to pick up after themselves, doing everything they could to not make anything worse. It absolutely broke her heart to see her babies that way, so the one thing in weeks they had finally agreed on was that he should go. It had been for the best, and things were much better now.

At least, that's what she kept telling herself.

If she was to admit the truth, though… The truth was, she missed him. It was so hard without him. She hadn't slept well in a month. Neither had the kids. Every night, one of them would have a nightmare and need to come and sleep with Mommy. She didn't mind, because it didn't seem quite so lonely with a little someone there. The truth was, they all felt better when Daddy was there. He was the one to check and make sure there were no monsters under the bed, none hiding in the closet. Without him, fear was running rampant, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

She wanted to call him. She wanted to hear his voice, his gruff, gravelly tone. She wanted to see him, that face that was almost too pretty for a man, his confident, bow-legged walk. She wanted his big, strong arms around her, holding her tightly, stroking her hair, telling her everything would be all right. More than anything, she wanted him to do like he used to, shut her up by crushing his lips to hers.

But she had two very important reasons not to do that. There were two little girls who needed her, who were depending on her to do what was best for them. It wasn't—it couldn't be about what she wanted; she had to do what was best for her children.

But wouldn't having their parents together be the best thing?

* * *

He'd actually slept last night.

Sure, it had only been for two hours, but that was the longest stretch of sleep he'd had since he left. Dear God, he hated that damn saying. He hadn't left. He hadn't walked out on his family. He could never do that. Just walk away from his sweet little girls, his beautiful wife?

God, he missed her. He hated waking up every morning without her. Well, if he was entirely honest, "waking up" usually meant after a half-hour, maybe an hour doze. Didn't matter. She still wasn't there.

The apartment he'd rented was an absolute shit hole. He hated it. But it had a bed, a shower, a roof that didn't leak—at least, he thought it didn't leak. There hadn't been a real good rainstorm yet, so he hadn't yet been able to test out that theory. He had all he needed to survive.

Wrong.

He didn't have her. Or their daughters. And God, how his heart ached when he thought of those two incredible human beings. Molly, the 7-year-old with her mother's blonde hair in curls around her face and her father's green eyes. And Hailey, the sweet 3-year-old with hair just a shade darker, more like her father's. The perfect mixture of his green eyes and her mother's blue, Hailey's eyes were a beautiful turquoise. Both of his girls absolutely adored their daddy, a feeling he reciprocated whole-heartedly, and being away from them, and their mother, broke his heart.

Dean closed his eyes, leaning up against the window, sipping the coffee in his hand. The coffee which tasted like crap. Nearly ten years ago, he made the mistake of accepting a cup of coffee from a pretty blonde, and now … Now, he hated even the damn taste of coffee, unless Melinda had fixed it for him. He ran a hand through his hair, watching as the sun rose up into the sky. He thought of the little house on Rosewood Drive, where he was almost certain a little green-eyed girl would have her nose pressed against the glass of the window beside her bed, watching the sun come up.

* * *

Molly had night terrors when she was younger, horrible dreams that she would wake up from, screaming blood-curdling screams. The dreams had started when she was two, when she was too young to articulate what exactly happened. She would shake, just tremble all over until her mommy or daddy would come, take her in their arms and whisper soothing words. It didn't happen every night, just once in a while, which gave way to once a month, which eventually turned to once a week. It got so bad that for a while, Molly would stay up all night and sleep all day, because nothing bad could get her in the light. That was horrible, a miserable existence where Dean had to hold Molly in one arm and Melinda in the other, while both of them cried.

One night when Molly was nearly 4, shortly after Melinda had told Dean she was pregnant again, Molly woke up not ten minutes after she'd gone to sleep. She was screaming, crying hysterically, and Dean had stumbled in her room, his heart in his throat like it always was when he heard his little girl screaming. He'd gathered her into his arms, but he couldn't take her back to bed with him, not with Mel pregnant. So he'd sat in the rocking chair, slowly rocking back and forth, rubbing a hand up and down Molly's back until she drifted off. Every time he tried to stop, tried to put her back to bed, she'd start to tremble. So he stayed up all night, holding her, singing softly whatever song came to mind, rubbing her back, just letting her know she wasn't alone. He'd been in the chair, watching out the window as the sun came up. And he'd looked down to his chest to see little green eyes watching out the window, as well. From that day on, Molly had slept soundly, almost always waking up to watch the sun rise, then falling back to sleep.

* * *

Dean turned from the window, pressing a hand over the ache in his chest. He took a shower, the water deciding to run frigid four minutes in. Used to be, times like that he'd wished he'd listened when his father had tried to train him and his brother into the military three-minute showers. Now, though, he accepted it, feeling as though maybe a cold shower was some kind of punishment, like his penance for screwing up his life so badly.

He wasn't entirely sure what exactly happened, what led to his family being where they were right then. If he had to guess, he figured it was his fault. Any bad thing that had happened, whether it be his mother's death, Sam leaving, his father's death… Somehow, it could be attributed to Dean's fault. Even if there was no possible way it was Dean's fault, Dean would find some way to beat himself up over it.

He toweled off his hair, walking into the bedroom/living room/kitchen of his apartment and slid a beat-up pair of jeans on. He walked to the window again, thinking back to the little house, wondering what was going on over there.

* * *

Melinda opened her eyes as her alarm went off. She'd been awake for a while, just waiting for the buzz, which would give her a reason to be awake. She slid out of bed carefully, so as not to wake Hailey up. Hailey had come tiptoeing in just after three, blue eyes wide, talking about her "bad dweam." Hailey couldn't pronounce her R's correctly, something that made Melinda smile. She had just nodded, scooting over in the bed, letting Hailey climb in. She let out a soft sigh, and was asleep before Melinda could wrap an arm around her. Melinda just smiled, stroking the blonde hair identical to Dean's, savoring the moment with her little girl.

Melinda walked down the hallway to Molly's room, glancing in to see her curled around her pillow, clutching it in her arms, her little head facing the window. Melinda smiled, knowing Molly had watched the sun come up, then drifted off back to sleep. Melinda walked to the kitchen, starting up the coffeepot, and once it had brewed, walked her mug over to the window. She did this sometimes, when she was by herself, savoring those few moments of solitude. She'd drink her coffee and look out the window, letting her mind drift.

* * *

As it always did, her mind wandered to Dean. What was he doing right then? She knew where he was, because he'd called his brother, the ex-Marine turned CIA something or other, with his coordinates. That was something their father used to do, and Dean still did it to Sam. Sam had called Melinda, letting her know Dean's location, telling her that he'd watch over him, make sure he was all right, and she heard the unspoken statement that he was doing the same for her and the girls. He'd spoken softly, telling her that he hoped they could work everything out, because he loved her and the girls.

That was always something that kind of took Melinda back. Sam was huge, standing a good three inches taller than Dean's six-foot-one frame. He was solid muscle, not an ounce of fat on him and, if Melinda was being completely honest, deadly. Sam had joined the Marines when he was 18, trying to live up to John Winchester's expectations. After ten years, he was honorably discharged, moving back home to take care of his father. He took college classes, seemingly without a break, graduating in just 3 years. Dean would just shake his head. He had dropped out of high school first chance he got. "Sam was the brains of the operation" was something he liked to tell everyone. Sam got the brains, Dean got the looks. Melinda and Dean had gotten married the year before Sam came home, with Sam getting special permission to be there and stand beside Dean on that day. They moved to Kansas to be close after John had a heart attack, the reason Sam moved back, as well. Molly was born just as Sam started college. When Sam graduated, John had been there, smiling widely and holding a 2-year-old Molly in his arms. John had died six months later, the liver cancer just too far gone for them to do anything about it.

Soon after John's death, Sam told Dean that he'd gotten offered a job with the CIA. He couldn't elaborate any more than that, and he was taking it. He never said it, but Melinda knew it was because he couldn't stand being somewhere John had been for so long, but wasn't anymore. Sam and John had always had a rocky relationship, but it had improved once Sam joined the Marines. Sam still carried a ton of regret, and getting away was the only way he could deal with it. He still dropped by every now and then, sent the girls presents on their birthdays. They were crazy about their Uncle Sammy, calling him that because Dean did.

Once Sam left, Dean had no reason to be in Kansas anymore. He talked to Melinda, and they packed up and moved back to San Francisco, where her family was. Molly's night terrors had started after the move, after John's death. Hailey was born almost two years later, and four years later… Here they were.

* * *

Melinda shook her head, turning back from the window, putting her empty coffee cup in the sink. She ran her hands through her hair, looking over at the clock. She walked back down the hall, poking her head in Molly's room. She walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed, running a hand over Molly's curls.

"Sweetheart? Hey, Mol. Wake up, baby."

Molly made a noise so reminiscent of Dean that Melinda's hand faltered. Melinda swallowed, then went back to rubbing Molly's back.

"Wake up, little one. You've got a big day ahead of you."  
"Do I have to go to school?"

Melinda smiled.

"Yes. But it's Friday. Do you remember what's happening on Friday?"

Molly sat up, shaking her hair out of her eyes.

"Daddy's coming!"

Melinda smiled and nodded. Molly threw her arms around her mother, squeezing tightly. Melinda held a hand on Molly's golden curls, then pushed her back.

"So… Let's get up, go wash your face and I'll get your sister up, then we'll eat breakfast."

Molly nodded, grinning widely before taking off and running down the hall to the bathroom. Melinda sighed as the smile fell from her face. Molly was so excited, because she was finally getting to see Dean, the first time in a month. It wasn't fair, and it nearly broke Melinda's heart. She tried to push those feelings down and walked down to her bedroom. She laughed when she got to the door, seeing Hailey stretched out sideways, covers kicked off, her _Beauty and the Beast _nightgown all skewed. Melinda walked over to the bed, sitting down and moving Hailey's hair out of her face.

"Baby girl. Good morning. Hailey."

Hailey made a quiet moan and Melinda laughed. Her 3-year-old was a big fan of sleeping. Not so much of waking up, though. Melinda ran a hand over Hailey's cheek.

"Wake up, gorgeous."  
"No, Mama."

Melinda smiled and scooped Hailey into her arms. She carried her into the kitchen, where Molly was sitting at the table with a huge grin on her face. Melinda laughed, setting Hailey in the chair beside Molly, feeling a tug at her heart when Hailey reached over to link hands with her sister. Melinda fixed breakfast, and by the time the food was ready, Hailey was coming around. She held her sippy cup of chocolate milk in both hands, bright blue eyes fixed on her mother as Melinda set a plate in front of her. Melinda pressed a kiss to the top of Hailey's head, before moving to do the same to Molly. Molly said grace, and they ate. Melinda stood back, nursing another cup of coffee. She didn't eat much these days.

* * *

Dean locked the car and stuck the keys in his pocket. He leaned up against it for a minute, staring at the little house. They were inside, all his girls. They were probably finishing up breakfast, and Melinda was probably helping the girls to get dressed. Well, if Hailey was up by now. He smiled at that, taking a deep breath as he made his way down the sidewalk, up the front steps and onto the porch. He hung his head, taking another breath, then raising his fist to knock on the door. He heard little feet running to the door, and a second later, it was thrown open.

"Daddy!"

He caught Molly as she launched herself into his arms, blinking back tears.

"Hey, baby girl."  
"Daddy, I missed you so much."

He squeezed his eyes shut as he knelt down, running a hand over her curls. He cleared his throat.

"I missed you too, Mol."

He swallowed, trying to make the shakiness of his voice go away. He opened his eyes, and felt his heart drop to his knees. Melinda stood there in her long bathrobe, Hailey in her arms. The little girl was still clutching her sippy cup, resting her head on her mother's shoulder. Dean met Melinda's eyes, seeing the emotions there before she smiled. She turned her head to listen to Hailey's whisper, then smiled and nodded.

"Go ahead, baby."

She knelt down too, and Hailey unfolded herself from Melinda, leaving the cup with her mother before she walked to Dean. He smiled, pressing a kiss to Molly's cheek and patting her back. Molly stepped back and Dean enveloped Hailey in his arms. She put her little nose in his neck, the way she'd done since she was born and he closed his eyes again. He held a hand on her hair, letting out a shaky breath. He opened his eyes to meet Melinda's, seeing the pain and tears before she looked away. She lifted a hand to brush a tear away, and Dean felt another piece of his heart break. Dean pressed a kiss to Hailey's forehead before moving back and smiling for her.

"Good morning, Hailes."  
"Morning, Daddy."

He smiled, tapping a finger on her nose. She scrunched it up, making him let out a quiet laugh before Molly moved back, sitting on his knee and resting her head against his shoulder. Hailey moved to his other side, and he wrapped an arm around both of them. Melinda turned around as he watched her, and after a moment, she turned back.

"Okay, you two. We need to get dressed if we're going to be on time."

Dean kissed both his girls, patting their backs and they went down the hall, Hailey running on her tiptoes to keep up with her sister. Dean hung his head, letting out a long, shaky breath. He stood up, wincing as his knees protested. He met Melinda's eyes, stopping when he saw the smile on her face. He couldn't help the small smile that crossed his face.

"You heard that?"  
"Sure did, grandpa."

He let out a laugh, sliding his hands in his pockets. That was all he could do to keep from reaching out and pulling her to him, holding her the way they both needed him to. Melinda bit her lip, then sighed.

"Do you want some coffee?"

Dean looked up, meeting her eyes.

"I'd love some."

* * *

They were sitting at the table, Melinda with her third cup of coffee, Dean savoring every sip of his. Melinda cleared her throat.

"So tonight."

Dean nodded, looking over to her.

"I'm going to Mama's, and I'll stay there until Sunday."  
"You know you don't have to, right?"

She met his eyes, and he sighed.

"You don't have to go just because I'll be here, Mel. I'll sleep on the couch. Or if you want, I'll leave after they fall asleep and I'll come back before the sun comes up."

Melinda closed her eyes, fighting back the tears with everything she had in her.

"Dean, this … "

She shook her head, covering her face with her hands. He actually reached across the table for her, and she saw it, but she shook her head again. After a moment, she lowered her hands.

"They'll be in here in a minute."  
"Mel… After I take them to school, can we just talk? I've got the day off."

She made the mistake of looking at him, wanting so badly to get lost in those green eyes. She shut hers, looking down again. Dean swallowed, his coffee forgotten beside him.

"We … we could have lunch or something."

No. Everything in her was screaming that she needed to say no. All they did was fight. Their children were suffering because they couldn't get their shit together. She needed to stay as far away from him as she could until they figured this out. But … How could they figure it out if they never talked? No. No, she just needed to refuse him.

"Lunch sounds great."

Dean blinked, like he wasn't expecting her to agree with him. A smile crossed his face and he nodded.

"Do you want me to pick you up or…?"  
"I'll just meet you somewhere."

Dean nodded, the smile back on his face.

"Okay."

Melinda smiled back.

"Okay."

She looked down at her coffee as a blush crossed her cheeks. Dean saw it, a genuine smile crossing his face. He finished up his coffee as Hailey came walking to the kitchen, carrying shoes in her little hands, a pout on her face. Dean bit his lip and Melinda gave him a confused look until she turned around.

"What's the matter, babe?"  
"Mommy, I can't tie my shoes. The knot is too tight."  
"Oh. Well, come over—"  
"Mama! I need your help with my hair!"

Melinda looked where Molly's voice had just rang out, then let out a sigh. She turned to Hailey with a sad smile, but Dean spoke up.

"Come here, Hailes. I'll help you with your shoes."

He looked to Melinda as she looked at him.

"I can handle this. You go help Molly."

She nodded, giving him a grateful smile. He tried to ignore the feelings that rushed up, as Hailey walked over to him.

"Let's see, squirt."

He picked her up, setting her on the table in front of him, and she handed him her shoes. After a moment of working, Dean muttered.

"Damn, these knots are tight."  
"Mommy says you're not supposed to say 'damn.'"

Dean bit his cheek to keep from smiling.

"Mommy's right. But I'm a grown-up, and a daddy, and it's okay if daddies say it. It's not okay for little blonde three-year-olds to say. Or seven-year-olds, so don't even go there."

Hailey grinned at him, and Dean couldn't help but smile back. He finally got her shoes untied, surprisingly without any more cursing, because Hailey was watching him like a little hawk. He slipped the shoes on and tied them, kissing her forehead before setting her back on the floor. She ran out of the kitchen, down the hall to the bathroom, where Melinda could fix her hair. Molly came back to the kitchen, where Dean was putting his mug in the sink. He turned around and smiled.

"Well, howdy there, gorgeous."

Molly grinned. She had her backpack on, lunchbox in her hand.

"So you're picking me up from school, right?"

Dean smiled, nodding.

"And you're staying with us this weekend?"

Dean nodded again.

"The whole weekend, right, Daddy?"  
"Yes, babe. The whole weekend."

Molly grinned, and Hailey came running back in.

"Ready!"

Dean grinned at her pronunciation of "weady." He walked over, holding out his hands, which each of them laid their hands in. He looked over at Melinda, who was smiling as she walked from the bathroom, her arms crossed over her chest. Molly grinned at her.

"Bye, Mama."  
"Have a good day."

Hailey looked up and scrunched up her nose as she grinned.

"Bye, Mommy."  
"You be good, you hear me?"

Hailey nodded, and Dean smiled. Their littlest daughter was quite the little hell-raiser. He considered it payback, of sorts. Dean and Melinda's eyes met, and after a second, she smiled.

"I'll call you?"

He nodded, and followed as Molly pulled him out the door. When they were gone, Melinda let out a sigh. She walked to the window, smiling as she watched Dean put Hailey in her car seat. It always struck her as funny, the classic car, the man driving it, and the pink booster seat in the back. They drove away and she let out another sigh, walking down the hall to the bathroom, set to soak in a long, hot bath.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hark! An extra-long chapter! Reviews, reviews, reviews. Please.**

****Nothing from Charmed or Supernatural belongs to me.****

Dean sat the table outside the café, letting out a long sigh. He took another sip of water, beating himself up for being such a little bitch about this. Why was he nervous? He had nothing to be nervous about. He was just meeting his wife. The wife he'd been away from for a month. He'd barely seen her for four whole weeks, and now, they were meeting for lunch.

Christ Almighty, when had this become his life?

Dean let out another sigh, draining the water from his glass. It was too early to have a beer. Plus, he'd been working on that, not drinking as much as he used to. Damn, he'd kill for a drink now, though. He'd taken his jacket off before he sat down, so he focused on rolling his shirtsleeves up. It was warm outside, not hot as it could be, but pleasantly warm. He closed his eyes, pressing his fingers into them until he let out yet another sigh, looking over as he heard a car park across the street.

Melinda climbed out of the car, wearing a light blue sundress. Her hair was twisted on top of her head, into a knot, and she had big white sunglasses on. She turned and reached into the car for her purse, locked the car, making it beep, looking both ways before she crossed the street. Dean would have smiled, had he any control over his motor functions. He was mesmerized by her, her beauty, the effortless grace in her movements. She walked to the hostess station, lifting her sunglasses, and Dean caught a glimpse of her beautiful blue eyes. His mouth was as dry as the desert and his water glass was empty.

Damn his stupid Winchester luck.

Melinda glanced over, a smile coming to her face when she saw him. She nodded to the hostess, then walked over to the table where Dean was. He stood up, unconsciously reaching out his hand. When he realized what he'd done, he felt like the biggest idiot in the world. But Melinda just smiled, reaching over to slide her hand in his, grip it just for a second before letting it go and sitting down. Dean swallowed, sitting as well.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me."

Melinda just laughed as she shook her head.

"I wish I was. I never, ever imagined our sweet little Hailey would be beating little boys up on the playground. She is a little hellion, and I blame that on you, Winchester."

Dean laughed, tossing his napkin onto the table.

"I'm sure you were just an angel of a child."  
"You got that right."

He laughed again, just shaking his head. He knew for a fact that he could ask her parents, brothers, her aunts and uncles, cousins, and any or all of them could tell him multiple stories of the trials of raising Melinda. Dean smiled at her, saw her softly smiling at him. He reached across the table, and like she had before, Melinda put her hand in his. He smiled, running his thumb along the back of her hand.

"I missed this."

Melinda nodded at his soft statement. She spoke just as softly.

"So did I. I … I miss you, Dean."

His heart leapt at that, and he squeezed her hand. She smiled, then let out a sigh.

"I just … I hate fighting with you. And that's all that we seem to do lately. Well, before you …"

She sighed again, letting her sentence trail off. Dean smiled, nodding.

"I know. You know, I … I was trying to figure out what happened. How we got to where we are, you know?"

Melinda nodded, and Dean shook his head, with a humorless laugh.

"I can't remember. I don't have a damn clue as to what happened. If you could just tell me what I did, I … Maybe, I mean, I—"  
"Dean."

He looked up at her, saw the incredulous look on her face.

"Honey, you didn't … Oh my God, you're—you think you're to blame, that this is all your fault?"

Dean just blinked, and Melinda looked down at the table, shaking her head. She reached for him, and he took her other hand, too. When she looked back up to him, her eyes were full of tears.

"Dean, we're both to blame here. It's not just you. You didn't do anything wrong. We just … I don't know what happened. It's just like all of a sudden, we …"  
"Yeah."

She tightened her hold on his hands and he looked back to her face.

"Please stop blaming yourself."  
"Mel, if I had just—"  
"Stop."

He blew out his breath, shaking his head. God, it hurt. Melinda took in a breath, letting it out slowly before rubbing her thumb along his hand.

"I'll stay at the house."

Dean looked up at her, and she nodded.

"We'll … we'll talk more once the girls are asleep."

Dean nodded, trying to push a smile onto his face. Melinda looked down at her phone and smiled.

"You better go. Hailey's going to be waiting for you."

Dean smiled, nodding.

"Yeah, I guess I should go. I'll see you later?"

Melinda smiled back at him and nodded.

"I'm having dinner with Peyton, so you and the girls can spend some time together. I'll come home after that."

Dean nodded, picking up the check as he stood up. She reached for it, and Dean just gave her a look.

"You're kidding, right?"

Melinda let out a laugh, taking the hand he held out for her as she stood up.

"I just thought that maybe—"  
"Stop talking."

She laughed again, standing back with a smile as Dean paid for their food, then walked her to her car. He opened her door, waited until she had climbed in and shut it. She started the car as he leaned in the window.

"So I'll get the little monsters, feed them."

Melinda laughed and nodded.

"I'll be home by their bedtime, and we can finish this conversation."

Dean smiled.

"Sounds good."

He kept the smile on her face, and she moved in, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. Her lips lingered on his face while his eyes drifted shut, and she gently touched his face as she pulled back.

"They're impatient little monsters."

Dean opened his eyes as Melinda pulled her hand back. He nodded, and she let out a shaky breath. She put a smile on for him.

"I'll see you later."  
"Be careful, Mel."

She nodded, and he slid his hands in his pockets as she drove away. He let out a long sigh, walking to his Impala, just sitting in it for a few minutes before he started it up, heading to pick up Hailey from school.

* * *

Dean sat in the line behind a herd of minivans, waiting to pick Molly up. Hailey had drifted off to sleep shortly after Dean had picked her up. For his daughters, riding in a car was like a drug. Especially the Impala. He couldn't even count how many times he and Melinda had driven around the block with a colicky Molly in the backseat. And when Hailey had started the same thing, Dean would put her in the car and drive until she was deeply asleep. When Molly's nightmares had started, Dean had driven around all night for weeks, until not even the car could calm her down. Now, though, both girls would be sound asleep after just minutes in the Impala.

The line crawled forward, and Dean looked around until his phone began to ring. He picked it up, smiling at the blocked number. Only one guess as to who this might be.

"Yeah."  
"Hey, Dean."

Dean smiled as he heard his brother's deep voice.

"How you doing, Sammy?"  
"Oh you know. Same shit, different day."

Dean let out a laugh.

"I know the feeling. Where are you today?"

The line was quiet for a moment, and Dean knew that was because Sam was trying to figure out where exactly he was. Or he was trying to make Dean believe he didn't know. Hard to tell.

"Belarus."  
"Where the hell is—"  
"Close to Russia, Mr. Geography."  
"Shut up, Sam."

Sam's laugh filled the line, and Dean couldn't help but smile. He was suddenly hit with just how much he missed his brother. He coughed and could almost hear Sam smile.

"I, uh … I've got a little break coming up in the next few weeks. Think I could crash on your couch for a while?"

Dean smiled.

"You know you never have to ask."  
"I just—"  
"Bitch."

Sam's laugh filled the line again.

"Jerk. You better watch that mouth around my nieces, Dean."  
"I know. Hailey just reminded me this morning."

He filled Sam in on that story, closing his eyes as Sam laughed again. After a moment, Sam's voice was soft.

"So you and Mel?"

Dean sighed.

"We're trying to figure it out."  
"Good."

Dean could see Sam nodding his head.

"Don't lose her, man."  
"I'm trying, Sammy."  
"Just don't let your pride get in on it, Dean."

Dean sighed, looking in the rearview mirror, smiling as he saw Hailey blinking owlishly.

"Hey, babe. Guess who I'm talking to."

Hailey looked over to him, blinking her eyes. Dean smiled.

"Hailey just woke up. I'll put you on speaker."

He did, holding the phone out.

"Hey, Hailey."

Her face lit up.

"Uncle Sammy!"

He laughed.

"How you doing, baby?"  
"I'm good. Where are you?"  
"Somewhere cold."

Hailey scrunched up her nose and Dean laughed. His baby girl did not enjoy the cold. Molly wanted so badly to be where it would snow, but Hailey was just fine at the beach. Dean smiled as he looked and saw Molly walking towards the car. Dean handed the phone to Hailey, who held it in both of her little hands, chattering to Sam. Dean walked over and gathered Molly in a hug, walking her back to the car, opening the door for her. Hailey was holding the phone with a smile on her face when Molly climbed in. Dean climbed in as Molly looked over.

"Who's on the phone?"  
"Hey, Miss Molly."  
"Uncle Sam!"

She took the phone from Hailey, who sat back and smiled, making Dean laugh as he watched them in the rearview mirror. Molly talked to Sam for a while, until she started to yawn. Hailey had already drifted back to sleep, her full lips, just like her father's, in a pout. Molly passed the phone back to Dean, then drifted off.

"They asleep?"

Dean smiled.

"Yep. Car works like a charm."  
"Always has."

Sam was the same way as the girls. Put him in the Impala, and he would be out like a light. Of course, hours later, he'd be bitching about how it hurt, having his long body scrunched up in the car. Dean let out a sigh, and Sam chuckled softly.

"Hey, Dean?"  
"Yeah."  
"I, uh … I miss you."

Dean smiled.

"I miss you too, Sammy. You big girl."

Sam laughed.

"I'll see you soon, okay?"  
"See you soon."

They hung up as Dean pulled into the driveway. He sighed as he stretched his arms and rolled his neck. He looked back, at the sleeping angels in his backseat. He climbed out, stretching again before gently waking Molly, helping her gather her things and sending her towards the house. He walked around and got Hailey out of the seat, carrying her inside. Molly was standing in the middle of the living room, blinking widely. Dean smiled, walking over to a chair. He took a seat, moving Hailey around to where she was lying on her side, half on him, half beside him, clutching his shirt. He winked at Molly, and she walked over, climbed up beside him, laying her head on his chest. About half a minute later, she was asleep again. Dean rocked slowly for a minute, then stretched out, thinking a nap with his daughters sounded like the best thing right then.

* * *

"Daddy. Daddy, wake up. Daddy, are you awake?"

He groaned.

"Yes, Hailey. I'm—I'm awake."

He yawned, feeling Hailey's little hands on his face.

"If you're awake, then open your eyes."

Dean snorted, following Molly's orders. He smiled when he saw his daughters very close to his face. Hailey patted his face again, and he met her bright blue eyes.

"Yes, ma'am?"  
"I'm hungry. I'm supposed to get a snack, but we didn't get a snack after school."  
"That's because we slept through snack time."

Dean yawned again, stretching out before putting the chair back in a sitting position, making the girls giggle at the unexpected movement. He smiled at them, then looked at his watch.

"Damn, we slept a long time."

Molly looked at Hailey, who smiled.

"It's okay. Daddies can say 'damn,' but we're not 'posed to."

Dean sighed and shook his head.

"Do not tell your mother that. She'll kill me."

Hailey grinned at him, and he stood up, popping his back as he did. Molly tensed up when he did that, and he smiled.

"I don't like that noise."  
"That's what happens when you get old."

Hailey tilted her head to the side.

"How old are you?"

Molly let out a sigh.

"He's thirty-seven. He was thirty when I was born, and I'm seven, so now he's thirty-seven."  
"Well, what about when I was born?"

Molly looked over to Dean, who smiled.

"She's four years younger than you are. If you were four when she was born, then I was …"

Molly thought for a minute.

"Thirty-four."

Dean's eyes widened, and he smiled.

"That's right. You little genius."

He flicked a hand at Molly's ponytail, and she giggled. Hailey tucked her legs under her, sitting up on her knees.

"What about Mama? How old is she?"

Molly looked over to Dean, who smiled.

"Your mom is four years younger than I am, just like you two. In October, she'll be—"  
"Wait! Let me figure it out. Help me, Daddy."

He smiled, turning to kneel beside Molly.

"Okay. I'm thirty-seven, and Mama's four years younger than that. So seven minus four is…?"

Molly sat for a minute, looking down at her fingers as she counted down.

"Three? Is Mama thirty-three?"

Dean smiled.

"She will be in October."

Molly grinned.

"You're smart."

Molly looked back to Hailey.

"You're smart too, Hailes. You're just little and haven't learned much yet. I'll teach you some stuff."

Dean smiled, laying a hand on Molly's head. Hailey perched on the edge of the chair and crossed her legs.

"Daddy, I'm hungry."

He let out a laugh.

"All right, squirts. What do we want for supper?"

The girls exchanged a glance, wide smiles crossing their faces.

"Pizza!"

* * *

Dean slumped against the wall, laughing until his sides hurt. He had a little girl on either side of him, both of them laughing, as well. They were all covered in flour, water, salt, cinnamon, and Hailey had chocolate chips in her hair. Baking cookies was DEFINITELY not Dean's forte. Food fights, however, he was excellent at. And, he'd come to realize tonight, his daughters had taken after him. They were starting to calm down, and just as they did, Hailey started to giggle again, and they fell into another round of laughter.

"Oh my God! What the…. Oh my God."

Little mouths dropped open, scrambling onto their knees to peek over the table. Melinda set her purse down, propping her hands on her hips.

"What in God's name exploded in here?"  
"Daddy tried to make cookies!"

Molly elbowed Hailey, and Dean tugged on her braid as he moved to stand up.

"Tattletale."

Hailey giggled some more, covering her mouth with her little hands. Dean scooped the girls up in his arms, clearing his throat.

"Well, uh … They wanted to make cookies after dinner. I thought, how hard could it be? I … I was wrong."

Melinda bit her lip as she nodded her head, trying her best not to smile.

"You, uh… You've got chocolate chips … in your hair."

Dean nodded.

"So does Hailey. We're going to take baths now."  
"I think that's a good idea."

Melinda side-stepped Dean and the girls, shaking her head at the kitchen. He stopped at the doorway.

"Don't mess with this. I'll, uh… I'll tackle this when they're clean."  
"Okay."

Melinda nodded, and Dean went on to the bathroom. She could hear Hailey as they walked.

"Daddy, I thought she was going to say da—"  
"Don't even think about it. We're going to have to have a long talk about this, I think."

When she heard the water start, Melinda leaned over, grabbing onto the counter and letting out the laughter she'd been suppressing. She just couldn't believe it. If someone had told her, ten years ago when she met the man, that one day Dean Winchester would be covered in flour after trying to bake cookies with his daughters, she would have laughed in their face. But here they were.

* * *

An hour later, two little girls, scrubbed clean of any evidence of the cookie disaster came running to her, Molly in her favorite pink pajamas, while Hailey wore her _Tangled_ nightgown. She insisted that she was Rapunzel, and refused to let anyone cut her hair. Melinda just smiled and went along with it, knowing that her little wild child would soon tire of dealing with her hair that long. As of now, the blonde stretched halfway down Hailey's back. And she walked up to Melinda with a smile on her face and the brush in her hand. Melinda took the brush, then held Hailey's hand, walking her to the living room, sitting her on the footrest while Melinda sat on the couch. Molly sat beside Melinda, holding her own brush, old enough to brush her own hair.

Dean meant to go clean the kitchen—really, he did—but when he caught sight of his wife and daughters, heard them singing while brushing their hair, his heart just stopped. He stood back and watched them, leaning up against the doorjamb, listening. Hailey was swinging her feet over the side of the ottoman she sat on.

"We had fun today, Mommy."  
"Did you, now?"

Hailey nodded, watching her little pink toes as they swung back and forth.

"Daddy picked us up from school and we got to talk to Uncle Sam. He's somewhere cold."

Melinda smiled.

"Really?"

Hailey nodded again.

"Then, we came home and took a nap. When we woke up, Daddy said 'Damn, we slept for a long time.' But it's okay for him to say that. He told me daddies can say it, but I'm not 'posed to."

Dean hung his head and let out a sigh. When he looked up, he saw Melinda looking at him with a smile on her face.

"He's right. That is not a word little girls need to be saying. It's a yucky word that old, yucky boys say."

Dean looked away as he nodded, running his tongue over his teeth. Hailey turned her head to look at Melinda.

"Daddy is old. He's thirty-seven."

Melinda laughed.

"That's right. Who told you that?"  
"Molly. And you're thirty-three."

Melinda smiled, running the brush through Hailey's hair one last time.

"Well, not yet. I will be in October, though. Who told you that?"  
"Molly. She's real smart, Mama."  
"She is very smart."

Melinda reached over and patted Molly's leg, and Molly smiled.

"Hailey's smart, too. She's just little."  
"That's right."

Melinda leaned over to press a kiss to Hailey's nose, then Molly's forehead.

"I think Daddy's waiting to tuck you in."  
"Daddy's still all yucky from the cookies."

Melinda smiled at Hailey.

"It will be okay. He'll be careful not to get you dirty."

Hailey smiled as she looked at the door to the kitchen.

"Will you sing me the song, Daddy?"

Dean smiled.

"What, is this your first day? Of course I'll sing you the song."

Hailey grinned, leaning over to kiss Melinda's cheek.

"Good night, Mama."  
"Night, angel."

Molly stood up, and Melinda ran her hand over Molly's curls.

"Good job."  
"Thanks, Mama. Good night."  
"Good night, my angel."

Molly followed behind Dean and Hailey, and Melinda sat back on the couch, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. In her room, Hailey had gathered her posse of stuffed animals, placing them strategically around her in the bed, and was watching Dean with wide blue eyes.

"Nothing in the closet."  
"Are you sure? Sometimes they hide behind the clothes."

Dean pushed back the clothes, moved them forward.

"Nothing."

He walked over to the bed, kneeling down and looking under it.

"All clear."

Hailey let out a long sigh.

"Good. I think Mama misses some when she checks."

Dean smiled, running a hand over Hailey's hair.

"Remember what I told you, kid?"

Hailey smiled.

"There's no such thing as monsters."  
"That's right."

Dean leaned over to kiss her forehead, switching on the nightlight and shutting off the lamp. Hailey snuggled in under the covers as Dean tucked them around her. He smiled at her as she smiled up at him, and he started singing softly, Billy Joel's _Just the Way You Are_. By the second verse, those bright blue eyes were closing, but Dean kept singing. He sang the entire song, and Hailey was deeply asleep long before he was done. He bent and kissed her cheek, staring at her the entire time as he walked out of the room. He pulled the door shut behind him, sighing before walking to Molly's room. He peeked in her room, saw her kneeling beside her bed. He listened to what she was saying, feeling his heart break with every word.

"And God, please, let my daddy come home. He's been gone for a long time, and Mommy cries when he's not here. I don't want her to cry anymore, and everything is better when Daddy's here. So please, if You can, let him come home. Amen."

Molly stood up and Dean turned back, wiping his face as he cleared his throat. He stepped inside and Molly's face lit up. She climbed in the bed and Dean brought the covers up over her. He handed her the stuffed moose Sam had given her shortly after she was born, and she clutched it to her chest. Dean walked to the closet, opening it, glancing back to see Molly with her eyes squeezed shut. He pushed her clothes back and forth, then closed the closet.

"All clear."

Molly opened her eyes, nodding. Dean walked over, looking under her bed, listening to Molly suck in a breath. He smiled, then came back up, smiling.

"No monsters."  
"None at all?"  
"Not even one."

Molly let out a breath of relief, and Dean smiled as he kissed her forehead. He moved to turn on her nightlight, then sat on the edge of her bed. She smiled over at him.

"Daddy?"  
"Yeah, babe."

She pulled her hand out from under the covers and he took it, covering it with both of his hands. Molly took in a deep breath.

"Are you and Mommy getting a divorce?"

Dean blinked. That was not what he expected, not at all. Molly just stared at him, then spoke quietly.

"My friend Blair's mommy and daddy are getting a divorce. She said her daddy moved out, and now he's never coming home. You moved out, didn't you?"  
"Honey…"

Molly wouldn't let him speak; she just went on.

"Blair said her mommy and daddy would fight all the time, then he left. You and Mommy used to fight, and then you left. And now Blair and her brother have to go from her mommy's house to her daddy's, and I don't think that's fair. Hailey's so little, and she doesn't understand. She won't want to go back and forth, and neither do I. Daddy, I just want—"  
"Hey, hey. Slow down."

Molly sat back, tears stinging her eyes, and Dean let out a long breath.

"I'm going to tell you something and I want you to always remember it, okay?"

Molly nodded.

"I love your mother more than anything in this world. She is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I will always love her because she gave me you and your sister. Mommies and daddies fight, okay? And sometimes the fights get bad. But here's the thing: I will do whatever it takes to fight for your mom. I'm not giving up. You and Hailey and your mother are everything to me, and I'm not letting you go without a fight."

Molly nodded, letting out a breath. Dean watched her, and gently squeezed her hand.

"What is it, Mol?"

She looked up to him and swallowed.

"If I promise to be real good, will you come back?"

Dean had to look away, because there were only three times that he had felt that feeling of complete devastation wash over him. When his mother died, when Sam left for the Marines, and when his father died. Molly kept on talking, kept right on breaking his heart.

"I'll be good, and you won't ever have to get onto me or punish me. I'll watch out for Hailey and make sure she's good, too. We'll be quiet and we won't fight, Daddy. I promise. We'll be good, and you and Mommy won't fight anymore."

Dean pulled back the covers, picking Molly up into his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder, and he held her as tightly as he dared, letting tears slip from his eyes into her wet hair. When he could speak again, his voice was gravelly and hoarse.

"Molly, you listen to me right now. This is not your fault. Mommy and I aren't fighting because you're not being good. Baby girl, you are so good. This is grown-up stuff that has nothing to do with you."

He pressed a kiss to her temple, letting out a breath.

"You are perfect, Molly-girl. I love you more than you know, okay?"

She nodded, squeezing her arms around his neck. He sighed and laid her back down in the bed, bringing the covers up again. Dean knelt down to where he and Molly were eye-to-eye. Molly blinked her eyes, the green identical to his own.

"Will you be here when I wake up?"

Dean smiled.

"I promise I will."

Molly nodded.

"Will you sing to me, too?"

Dean's smile grew.

"Is this your first night?"

Molly giggled.

"Of course I'll sing to you."

She picked her moose back up, settling down in the bed as Dean tucked the covers around her. He ran a hand over her hair, softly singing Stevie Wonder's _Isn't She Lovely_. The day she was born, when Melinda had fallen asleep and John was walking around with his chest puffed out, telling anyone who would listen about his new granddaughter, Dean had been mesmerized by the little baby. He'd taken her in his arms, letting her wrap her little fist around his finger, taking hold of his heart when she did. When she'd started to cry, he'd started to sing. She quieted, falling asleep through the middle of the song.

Just like she did right then. Dean smiled, singing the rest of the song quietly. Like Hailey, Molly was deeply asleep long before he finished. Still, he flipped off the lamp beside the bed, leaning to kiss her forehead, letting out a sigh as he walked out of the room. He walked to the kitchen, where Melinda was sliding another pan into the dishwasher.

"Hey."

She jumped, laying a hand over her heart.

"You scared me."  
"I'm sorry. And I thought I told you to leave this alone."

She smiled.

"Couldn't help it. It's the Piper in me."

Dean smiled. Melinda's mother was just a little bit of a neat freak. Melinda laughed under her breath.

"What?"

She walked over to him, going up on her tiptoes to brush her fingers through his hair. He let his eyes close, then opened them to see what she was holding in her hand.

"You've still got chocolate chips in your hair."

Dean shook his head.

"Damn it."  
"Go take a shower, and I'll make some coffee."

He nodded, turning to leave.

"Hey, Dean."

He turned back, and Melinda laid a hand on her hip.

"We'll also have to talk about your language."

He smiled, letting out a quiet laugh.

"Hailey can't keep her mouth shut."  
"Our little parrot repeats everything. Just keep that in mind, okay?"

Dean nodded, turning to go to the shower. Half an hour later, Melinda had the kitchen spotless, and was sitting at the table, sipping a cup of hot chocolate. She'd brewed some coffee for Dean, because the man could drink a pot, then sleep for ten hours. He came walking in and Melinda set her cup down, amazed at how she did it without spilling any. He had his towel thrown over a shoulder, wearing only a pair of sweatpants.

"I was sure I left some shirts here."

Melinda's cheeks went red, and Dean smiled. She cleared her throat.

"Yeah, I—I might have stolen them."

He nodded, and she gave him a smile.

"Try my top drawer."

Dean gave her a nod before he turned and walked back down the hall. Melinda closed her eyes, trying to remember what exactly was going on and why. Dean came back in, his hair still wet, finger-combed away from his face, now wearing a white t-shirt. He poured himself a cup of coffee, then sat across from Melinda. After a moment of silence, Melinda sighed.

"Why is this so weird?"

Dean let out a sigh.

"I know!"  
"I mean, we've been together for almost a decade. Why are we acting like we barely know each other?"

He let out a laugh, shaking his head.

"I was freaking the hell out at lunch today."  
"Glad to know it wasn't just me."

He laughed again, picking up his coffee to sip. Melinda smiled, sipping her cocoa. Dean set his cup down, letting out a breath.

"Mel, when I was tucking Molly in …"

He sighed again, running his hands through his wet hair. She set her cup down, moving her hands to prop her chin on them.

"She asked me if we were getting divorced."  
"She what?"

Dean nodded.

"She's seven!"

Dean nodded again.

"I know. She said Blair's parents are getting divorced, and she thought we might, too."

Melinda sighed, looking out the window, then down to the table. She spoke softly.

"What … what did you tell her?"

She glanced at him, saw him staring at her. He spoke quietly.

"I told her that I wasn't giving up without a fight. I told her that I loved you too much to let you go. And I mean it, Mel. I—I don't care what I have to do. I'm not letting you go."

Tears were suddenly in Melinda's eyes, and she stared into her mug. Dean cleared his throat.

"She, uh… She—"

He broke off, shaking his head, looking down at the table.

"What, Dean?"

He brought teary eyes back to look at Melinda, smiling the saddest smile she'd ever seen.

"She said, 'If I promise to be good, will you come home?'"

Melinda covered her mouth with her hand.

"She's blaming herself, Mel. She thinks I left because she was bad."  
"No. Oh, Dean, no."

Melinda put her head in her hands and he sighed.

"She promised she'd never get in trouble, and she'd make sure Hailey was good too, and we wouldn't have to fight anymore."

Melinda let out a sob and Dean squeezed his eyes shut.

"My baby. My poor baby, Dean. How could she … We were so careful."

Dean hated it when Melinda cried. It struck something deep inside him, something that made him want to take her in his arms and never let her go, and to destroy whatever it was that made her cry. She shook her head, wiping her eyes.

"She can't—God, she can't blame herself."  
"I tried to tell her that. Mel, I …"

She looked over to him, catching him just as he wiped a hand over his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I just …"

He looked to her.

"I'm just so sorry."

She shook her head.

"Dean, stop blaming yourself."  
"What, do you want me to blame you?"  
"If it keeps you from beating yourself up, yes."

He blew out his breath, shaking his head. Melinda smiled, shaking her head.

"At least she gets it honest."

Dean closed his eyes. Melinda looked out the window, seeing the moon rise above the trees.

"They need you here."

Dean looked over at her, having barely heard her whispered statement. Melinda took her eyes from the window, sighing.

"I need you here."

She closed her eyes, letting out a breath.

"I don't know how to do this, Dean. I don't know what's the best course of action."  
"You wanted me to go, so I went. You want me here, I'm here. You want us to go spill our guts on some shrink's couch, I'll do it. Mel, I … I love you, and I meant it when I said I'd fight for you."

She smiled.

"I love you, too. I just … I need a little time, is all."

He nodded.

"Whatever you need."

She met his eyes, smiling.

"Thank you."

Dean nodded, standing up to put his mug in the sink. He stared out the window, and Melinda got up, walking over to stand behind him. She was tired, tired of fighting it, and she stepped close to him, wrapping her arms around him from behind. Dean tensed up, letting out a shaking breath. Melinda moved closer to him as his hands drifted up to grip hers on his chest.

"Baby."  
"I know I'm probably pushing it, but I just … I needed to touch you."

Dean let out a groan, spinning around to take her in his arms. Her breath came out in a rush, and she wrapped her arms around him, moving a hand to hold on his head.

"God, Dean."  
"I missed you, Mel."

He moved to smell her hair and her knees buckled.

"Wait. Dean, wait. We—we can't do this."

She pushed him back, gripping the counter tightly as she turned away from him.

"Mel, honey—"  
"No, we … We need to work this out. We can't just do this. We have to—to …"  
"I know."

He spoke softly, and Melinda glanced back at him over her shoulder. He gave her a smile, moving to gently lay a hand on her head, pulling her to him as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"If you need me, I'll be on the couch."

Melinda opened her mouth, but the words stuck in her throat. She watched as he walked away, to the darkness of the living room. She let out a sigh, shutting off the lights in the kitchen as she made her way back to her bedroom.

* * *

At three o'clock, Melinda jolted awake at the screams coming from Molly's bedroom. She crawled out of bed as fast as she could, running down the hall. She flipped the light on, stopping when she saw Dean had Molly in his arms. She was clutching him tightly, sobbing into his shoulder as he whispered to her that she was all right, everything was fine. Melinda laid a hand over her heart, letting out a sigh. She turned and walked to Hailey's room, where the little girl was sitting up, clutching various stuffed animals, her little body shaking. Melinda walked over to the bed.

"Hey, sweetheart. Everything's okay. Molly just had a bad dream."  
"She scared me, Mama. She was screaming."  
"I know, baby. She scared me, too."

Melinda stroked Hailey's hair for a moment, then pressed a kiss to her head.

"Lay back down, baby. It's okay."

Hailey shook her head, trembling all over again.

"Can I sleep with you?"

Melinda sighed, but smiled.

"Of course you can."

She opened her arms and Hailey climbed into them. She walked back to Molly's room, where Molly was still clutching Dean, tears still streaming down her face.

"Molly, honey. Everything's okay. I promise you, I am right here. I will stay right here beside you all night. You can go back to sleep. I won't let anything bad happen to you, honey."  
"Come with us."

Molly and Dean looked over to Hailey.

"Mommy doesn't mind. She can sleep with us."

Melinda nodded, and Dean lifted Molly into his arms. He followed Melinda down the hall, and she flipped on the lamps. She set Hailey down and climbed in on her side, Hailey snuggling beside her. Dean laid Molly beside Hailey, stroking her hair. Molly reached up, grabbing onto to Dean.

"Daddy, don't go!"  
"I'm not, honey. I'm right here."

Molly was starting to cry again, and Dean met Melinda's eyes. Melinda looked to Molly, then back to Dean.

_Stay_.

She mouthed the word at him, and he nodded. He pulled the covers back, crawling into his side of the bed, taking Molly in his arms.

"Everything's okay, baby. You're safe here. Daddy's right here."

Molly nodded as her eyes began to close. Melinda was stroking Hailey's hair, and she drifted off, until Melinda and Dean were the only ones awake. Melinda reached up and flipped off the lamps, lying back down. She felt a rough hand cover hers, and she turned hers over to link their fingers, falling back to sleep.

* * *

Dean stayed all weekend, sleeping every night in the bed with Melinda, with their daughters in between them. He actually slept for six or more hours each night, holding Melinda's hand. When Monday morning rolled around, they were all pretty bummed. Melinda tried to keep their spirits up, but it was no use. Hailey was in a bad mood, which put Molly in a bad mood, which nothing could fix. Dean stayed in between them during breakfast, while Melinda leaned up against the counter. Dean drove the girls to school, then went to his apartment to get ready for work. The day dragged on and he could do nothing right at the garage, banging his knuckles every chance he got.

But at four, a phone call changed everything.

"Winchester!"

Dean rolled out from under a beat-up Honda.

"What?"  
"Your wife's on the phone. Sounds kinda upset."

Dean pushed to his feet, wiping his hands on a red rag as he walked to the phone.

"Mel?"  
"Dean. Is Molly with you?"  
"No, why would she be with me? I wasn't picking them up today."  
"Oh, God. Oh my God."  
"Honey, what? Mel, what is it?"

He could hear her breath speed up.

"She's gone, Dean."

His heart bottomed out.

"What … what the hell are you talking about? What do you mean 'gone'?"  
"She wasn't there when I went to pick her up from school. I called Mom and Dad, Aunt Phoebe, Peyton, Aunt Paige… No one has her, Dean. She's … Oh, God."  
"Hang on. Mel—Mel, listen to me. I'm coming."

He hung the phone up, turning around to run his hands through his hair. The garage had fallen silent, and one of his buddies walked up to him.

"Ash is getting your car, Dean. Go."  
"My daughter… Molly, she's—"  
"Go."

He ran out of the garage, barely even registering hearing someone begin to say a Hail Mary. He was shaking, his heart pounding in his ears. Not Molly. Not his sweet little Molly. She couldn't be—

God, please don't let it be true.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yeah, this is going to be more than a 3-shot. I tried my best, but the story just went a little further than I'd originally planned. I'm thinking we'll have one more chapter after this one, and an epilogue. Sorry about that. (Yeah, I'm not sorry.) Thank you SO much for the reviews!**

* * *

Dean barely let the car come to a stop before he was out, running towards the house. Police cars were scattered across the front lawn, along with vehicles he recognized as belonging to his in-laws. Dean ignored the cop yelling at him, pounding his way up the steps and through the front door. He elbowed his way past another cop, letting out a little breath of relief when he saw Hailey in his father-in-law's arms. She wriggled until Leo set her down, hurrying to Dean on her tiptoes. He knelt and gathered her in his arms, breathing in her hair, letting out a sigh. She was quiet, keeping her head on his shoulder, her nose in his neck, and he kept running a hand up and down her back. Piper walked into the living room as police officers walked towards Dean, and she held her hands up.

"It's—it's okay. He lives here."  
"This the father?"

Dean turned back with a sneer on his face until he saw a familiar officer.

"Darryl."  
"Dean, hey."

Darryl Morris walked over to shake Dean's hand, and the officers backed off. Dean held tightly to Hailey, grateful his voice didn't shake.

"What do we know?"

Darryl sighed, glancing to Hailey. Dean closed his eyes, pressing a kiss to her hair as he knelt back down. He set her down and she faced him. Dean smiled, running a finger down her nose.

"Go back to Papa, okay?"

Hailey nodded, running on tiptoe back to Leo, who took her in his arms. Piper ran a hand over Hailey's hair and they walked into the kitchen. Dean turned back to Darryl.

"What the hell's going on, Darryl?"

He let out a long sigh.

"We're not entirely sure."  
"Oh, don't give me that shit."  
"Dean, we're doing the best we can here. We don't have any leads, no indication that anything like this would ever happen."

Dean ran his hands through his hair.

"Do you know of anyone who would do something like this?"

Dean turned back to him, a sad smile on his face.

"What, take my daughter? No. No, I cannot fathom anyone doing anything like this."  
"No enemies? No one who might have a score to settle with you?"

Dean let out a laugh.

"What, someone I once hustled pool from? Come on, Darryl. You know I moved around a lot. I was never in one place long enough to make enemies."

Darryl nodded and sighed.

"I know. I'm sorry. We're just kind of grasping at straws here, Dean."

Dean nodded, stepping closer to speak under his breath.

"Have you—"

Darryl nodded.

"He called just before you got here. Furious would be an understatement."

Dean nodded. The one thing you did not do was mess with Sam Winchester's family. Of course he would be all over this. Molly would be fine. Dean just had to keep telling himself that. He had to keep repeating that and just ignore the ice in his stomach. Darryl cleared his throat.

"I need to make a few phone calls."

Dean nodded to him.

"Darryl, where's Mel?"

Darryl looked at his notepad as he shut it.

"Molly's room."

Dean shrugged his jacket off, tossing it onto a chair as he walked down the hall. He stopped in the doorway outside Molly's room, steeling himself before looking inside. His heart twisted at the sight, the toys on the floor, Molly's pajamas scattered on the floor from where she got dressed that morning. The moose from Sam was on her pillow, resting right beside where Melinda was sitting, twisting Molly's baby blanket in her hands. She was shaking, her knees bouncing, and she looked up, meeting his eyes. They just looked at each other for a moment, before Melinda's face scrunched up and she dropped her head into her hands. Dean pushed away from the wall and walked to her, placing his hands on her knees as he knelt in front of her.

"Hey. Mel, hey."

She shook her head, pushing him off as she stood up. She turned from him, still shaking her head, her body trembling as she crossed her arms over her stomach. Dean stood behind her, raking a hand through his hair, before he just thought, _Screw it_. He reached out and grabbed her, pulled her to him, clutching her to his chest. She let out a sob, wrapping her arms around him, clinging to him like he was her only lifeline. Dean ran his hand through her hair, resting his cheek on top of her head as she cried.

"I—I can't lose her. She—she's all I have."

Dean shook his head.

"We're not going to lose her. I'm right here, Mel. I'm not going anywhere."

Melinda sobbed into his chest, until a knock sounded at the door. Melinda stayed in his arms, and they both turned their heads to the door. Darryl stood there, holding an envelope. Melinda's heart fell.

"Oh God, no."

Darryl cleared his throat.

"It's addressed to you, Dean."

Dean closed his eyes, unwrapping one arm from Melinda and reaching out to take the envelope from Darryl. He opened it, pulling out a letter typed in a large font. He took in a shaky breath, reading the letter out loud.

"_This has nothing to do with you. As always, your brother is the one to blame. She's fine, for now. The authorities will receive a call with information soon. RR_."

Darryl gently took the letter from Dean's shaking hand. He handed it to an officer standing beside him, who slid it into a plastic bag and walked away. Darryl looked to Dean, who was still staring at his hand.

"Dean, do you have any idea who 'RR' is?"

Dean shook his head, racking his brain, and Darryl saw his face when he realized it. Dean brought his eyes to Darryl's, and Darryl's heart dropped. It was only a few times he saw that unique blend of sheer terror and agony cross someone's face, and it never ended well. Dean swallowed.

"Richard Roman."

Darryl's shoulders fell.

"No."

Dean nodded, letting his eyes close. Melinda pushed on his chest, where she could look up at him.

"Wait. Richard Ro—Dick Roman? The owner of Richard Roman Enterprises?"

Dean nodded, and Darryl sighed.

"He's more than that, I'm afraid."

Melinda looked to Darryl, beginning to tremble in Dean's arms again.

"Tell me."

Darryl let out a deep breath.

"There's been talk for a long time that the CIA has been trying to take him down, due to his alleged acts of … well, terrorism."  
"What? What does that … What does that mean?"

Dean wrapped his other arm around Melinda, whispering to her, until she pushed out of his arms, walking to face Darryl.

"Why does this man have my daughter? What does she have to do with anything?"  
"I think it's Sam. They're trying to snuff out Sam."  
"Okay. So he'll just—he'll find them, and he'll save her."

Melinda turned back to Dean, nodding her head, waiting for a reaction. Dean was staring at Darryl, a broken look on his face, tears gathering in his eyes. Darryl cleared his throat.

"Mel, uh… This isn't the first time Roman's done something like this. It was kept out of the media, but he took a senator's son in Vermont. The senator voted for a tighter trade agreement or something, I'm not sure, and … the boy—"  
"No."

Melinda closed her eyes as she shook her head, and Dean caught her as her knees buckled. He knelt with her on the floor, holding her tightly, staring at Darryl until he left the room.

"I swear to you, she will come home. I will bring her home myself if I have to. I promise, baby, our little girl will come home."

He didn't say it, but they both heard it.

_If it's the last thing I ever do._

* * *

Dean spoke with Sam for just a minute, rambling and not making an ounce of sense, but managing to get out the name "Dick Roman." Following a beat of silence, in an icy, absolutely deadly tone, Sam simply said "_I'll find her,_" before Dean heard the dial tone in his ear.

Melinda refused to leave Molly's room. Hailey had come to be with her, sitting in her lap, resting her head on Melinda's shoulder. Melinda just sat on Molly's bed, running her hand through Hailey's hair. Her family was all around, her parents in the kitchen with her Aunt Phoebe and Uncle Coop, Aunt Paige and Uncle Henry. Her brothers were both out driving around, trying to find some sign, anything they could use. Her other cousins were doing the same. And all Melinda could do was sit in her baby's room. As the sun went down, Piper walked in the room, wordlessly taking Hailey into her arms, walking her to the bathroom to help her get ready for bed.

Melinda picked the moose up off of Molly's pillow, running her fingers over the much-loved, nearly ragged stuffed animal. She looked up, seeing Dean standing before her, just watching her. Melinda set the moose back down and Dean walked to her, going down on his knees. He rested his hands on her knees, then looked up to her, her breath catching in her throat at the devastation on his face and the tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so sorry."

He laid his head in her lap, pressing his cheek against her thigh. Melinda let out a breath and put her hands on his head. She ran her fingers through his hair for a second before lifting his face. She ran her thumbs along his cheekbones, smiling at him as tears slid down her face.

"This is not your fault, Dean."  
"Mel, it—"  
"The letter said it, honey."  
"Mel, I—"  
"Goddamn it, Dean. Stop."

He tried to pull his head from her hands, but she wouldn't let him. A tear dripped from his eye onto her thumb and he brought his eyes back to her, defeat coloring his face. She took in a deep breath.

"This is not your fault. It is not your fault by proxy because Sam is your brother. It's not Sam's fault. Do not."

Dean shut his mouth, letting out a sigh that told Melinda more than words ever could. Melinda pulled his face to her, pressing a kiss to his forehead. Dean moved back, running his hands over his face, rubbing his hands on his jeans as he stood up. Melinda stood up beside him, wiping the tears from her cheeks before she turned to him. She gave him a smile, which he returned, before it slid from his face. Melinda took in a breath and, before she could talk herself out of it, stepped to him, reaching up to take hold of his face, pulling it down and bringing his lips to hers. Her hands drifted from his face to his shoulders, as his hands slid up to cup her face. She pulled him closer, letting out a noise that he swallowed, that made him smile. Melinda was the one to finally break the kiss, breathing hard as she laid her head on his shoulder, moving as close to him as she could and still breathe, and after a moment, Dean spoke quietly.

"We'll bring her home."

Melinda nodded, moving closer to him as he tightened his grip on her.

"I just … She has to be okay, Dean. She has to be."

Dean pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"She will be."

Melinda let out a ragged breath against his neck, closing her eyes until they heard a little voice at the door.

"Mama?"

Melinda stayed in Dean's arms, both of them turning their heads to see Hailey standing in the doorway. Melinda put on a smile.

"Yeah, baby."  
"I need somebody to tuck me in."

Dean smiled, letting go of Melinda as he walked over to lift Hailey into his arms while Melinda wiped her face. Dean turned back as Melinda walked up behind him, laying a hand on his back, following him down the hall to Hailey's room. Hailey was smiling at Melinda from Dean's shoulder, and Melinda's heart was aching. She was caught in a myriad of emotions. She had Hailey right in front of her, safe and sound, which she was so grateful for. At the same time, she was terrified, worried sick about Molly. She let out a ragged breath, causing Dean to turn to face her as he stepped into Hailey's bedroom. He gave a sigh as he looked at her, but she shook her head, putting on a smile as she reached for Hailey.

"Come on, little bit."

Melinda gathered the animals Hailey usually slept with, putting them around her, moving the covers up around her, setting her baby blanket on top. Dean stepped away from the closet, Hailey's big blue eyes watching him. Melinda gently stroked Hailey's bangs from her forehead as Dean knelt down, looking under the bed. He moved back, smiling over at Hailey.

"All clear."

She nodded, then looked over to Melinda.

"Mama, is Molly okay?"

Melinda looked down, until Dean reached and took her hand. She smiled at him, letting out a ragged breath, then looked back to Hailey.

"Yeah, honey. Molly's okay."  
"I miss her."

Tears filled Melinda's eyes, and Dean tightened his grip on her hand. Hailey looked over to him and he gave her a soft smile, moving his hand to stroke her hair.

"We miss her too, kid. But she'll be home soon."

Melinda closed her eyes, praying he was right. Dean started singing softly, Hailey's lullaby of _Just The Way You Are_, until her eyes began to drift shut. She was asleep before the end of the song, but Dean kept singing. His voice broke at the end of the song, as he felt Melinda's hand grip his tighter. She bit her lip to keep from sobbing out loud, as tears cascaded down her cheeks. Dean sniffed as he stood up, pulling Melinda up with him. He started to lead her out, but she stopped at the door, turning back as Hailey rolled over onto her side.

"I can't go. I—I have to stay here with her."  
"Mel."  
"No. No, I—I need to make sure she's okay."  
"Honey, honey. Hey."

She looked up at Dean and he led her out of the room, into the hall. He pulled the door shut behind him, as Melinda was shaking her head. She took hold of his arms.

"Dean, we can't leave her in there alone. She—she needs us. We have to make sure she's okay!"  
"Baby, she's fine."  
"You don't know that! What if—what if she—"

Melinda was shaking as she laid her head against Dean's chest. His arms came around her as he sighed, as he felt his shirt grow damp with her tears.

"Mel, baby."  
"I'm so scared, Dean."

He let out a sigh as he felt her arms come around his back, pressing them closer together. Her voice was muffled against his chest, and thick with tears.

"I just want her home. I want my baby here with me."  
"I know, sweetheart. Soon. She'll be home soon."

They heard a cough down the hall, both of them looking over to see Melinda's father standing there. He let out a sigh.

"There's a, uh … There's another letter that you need to see."

Melinda was shaking hard, her knees buckling as she tried to walk. Dean held onto her, whispering to her, pressing gentle, quick kisses to her cheek and temple. She leaned back into him, letting her head fall onto his shoulder. Dean practically carried Melinda into the living room, where Darryl was shouting into a phone. Piper stood up when she saw her daughter, and her sisters Phoebe and Paige walked over, too. Phoebe stroked Melinda's hair as Piper and Paige each took her hand, and they led her to the couch. Dean was right behind her, sitting on the arm of the couch. Darryl hung up his phone as he blew out his breath. He walked over with an envelope in his hand.

"There's no fingerprints on it, nothing."

Dean nodded, reaching a shaking hand out to grab the envelope. He swallowed hard, opening it. Another typed letter was there, along with a smaller envelope. He took in a breath before he read the letter out loud.

"_There is no reason this can't end happily. Your brother knows what he should do. If he fails to do so… Well, let's just say, he'd better not fail. She is a beautiful little girl."_

Dean had to stop, clutching the letter tightly in his fist as Melinda let out a sob, lifting a shaking hand to cover her mouth as she cried. Tears were rolling down Phoebe's and Piper's cheeks, and after a second, Paige reached over, taking the letter from Dean's grip. Paige cleared her throat as she continued to read.

"_The authorities have been contacted, so now, it's up to them. Do as they say and Molly will be fine. The envelope included with this letter is proof that she is still alive. Further instructions will follow. RR."_

Dean and Melinda froze, looking over as Paige tilted the envelope, causing the smaller envelope to slide out into Leo's hand. Piper slowly reached over and took the envelope from him, sliding her finger under the flap to open it, holding out her hand. Not a sound was heard, not a breath was taken as the contents of the envelope slid into Piper's hand.

One small, blonde ringlet.

* * *

Melinda let out a sob, reaching over, taking the curl between her fingers. She shook her head, closing her eyes as she began to shake again. The curl fell into Dean's hand as Melinda pushed herself off of the couch, running through the room until she burst outside, onto the back porch. The police officer patrolling out there looked over, flashing her with his flashlight, but she kept running, through the trees at the back of the property. She faltered over a root, then stopped as she was violently sick. She sobbed and screamed as she hit her knees, rolling over to sit at the base of a tree, pulling her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. She let her head fall to rest on her arms, and she heard panting breaths coming up in front of her. She looked up, to see Dean looking down at her. She scrambled to her feet, going to run towards the house when Dean caught her arm.

"Mel."  
"Hailey. Someone needs to make sure Hailey is—"  
"She's fine, babe."  
"You don't know that. What if someone—"  
"Your mom is sitting with her, Mel."

She was breathing hard, fighting off the nausea that was threatening again. Dean stepped closer to her, gently taking hold of her arms. She let out a shaky breath, collapsing back down onto the ground. Dean sighed and knelt beside her. Melinda drew her knees up again, looking down for a long time before looking over at Dean.

"You should have been here."

Dean nodded.

"I know."  
"You should have _been_ here."

Dean stood up and shut his eyes. He knew his wife, and he knew that right then, she needed to blame someone. He was there, he was an easy target, and he would take it. Dean was already claiming this as his fault; Melinda blaming him would work quite well with his self-loathing. He hung his head as Melinda shook her head.

"She needed you to be here. She needed you here, and I should have let you—No, I should have _made_ you come home."

Dean's head snapped up, looking over at Melinda. She covered her mouth with a hand, shaking her head. Her voice was barely audible.

"This is all my fault."  
"No."

Dean was on his knees in front of Melinda, taking her face in his hands.

"Mel, no. Baby, this … This is nowhere near your fault. Don't—don't do that."

Tears slid down Melinda's face.

"I don't know if she's hurt, if she's sick, or scared. I don't know if she's hungry or cold."

Melinda shook her head as Dean moved closer to her, wrapping his arm around her as she leaned into him.

"I'm supposed to be the one to make sure she's all right. I'm supposed to take care of her, and I—I just—"  
"Mel, stop."

She shook her head as she let out a sob, as Dean blew out a breath. He stood up, bending down to lift her into his arms. Melinda laid her head on his shoulder as he carried her, bridal-style, back into the house. He walked through the kitchen, ignoring her parents' wide eyes, passing her Aunt Phoebe outside Hailey's room, ignoring her mouth dropping open as he carried Melinda back to their bedroom. He laid her on the bed, crawling up beside her when she wouldn't let him go. He gathered her in his arms, pulling her close to him, whispering gently.

"Let go, Mel. Just rest and let it go."

She gave a snort through her tears.

"Let it go? You really think I can sleep right now?"

Dean smiled and shrugged his shoulders. Melinda shook her head as she curled into him. Her voice was quiet when she spoke.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep again."

But she did. She fell asleep right there, in that big bed, wrapped up in the comfort and safety of Dean's arms. Her head was on his shoulder, one hand clutched in his shirt. And as she slept, she dreamed of happier times.

* * *

"_And then Tony was like, 'Oh, hell no. Not in my shop.' And just whaled on the guy!"_

_ Melinda stood just outside the bathroom, both hands on the sink. She was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, a repetitive motion she'd been repeating for nearly two minutes. Her calf muscles burned, but she could barely feel it. Dean was in the shower, and he kept right on talking to her, not even realizing that she wasn't answering him. She tuned back in to his rambling just in time._

"_Did I tell you about the new guy, Mel? Said his name was Cas. Total hippie."  
"Are you serious?"  
"He's got a few screws loose, I know. But he seems like a good guy. Kinda lost."_

_ Melinda bit her bottom lip as she looked over at her phone. One more minute. She could hang on for one more minute. Right? She kept on bouncing, smiling as she heard Dean curse, muttering about soap in his eyes. She switched the timer on her phone off before it could beep, at the same time that Dean stepped out of the shower. He walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and steam billowing around him as Melinda turned to face him._

"_Anyway, I said we'd meet Dad at like, 6, if that's okay with you. Mel?"  
"I'm pregnant."_

_ Dean froze, staring wide green eyes at Melinda. She stood flat-footed next to the sink, the test in her hands. Dean blinked and swallowed._

"_What did you just say?"_

_ She smiled as tears shone in her eyes._

"_I'm pregnant."_

_ She held out the test, which Dean took in both hands, staring down at it. She coughed as a tear slid down her cheek._

"_I—I haven't been feeling 100% for a while, but I thought it was just some little bug or something."  
"Or something."_

_ Melinda nodded, but Dean just stared at the test. She went on with her story._

"_I, uh… I was late. I've never been late a day in my life, so… I—I thought I should… Dean, say something. Please."_

_ He lifted his head, saw the pleading in her watery blue eyes. He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face, the laughter that bubbled up._

"_You're pregnant?"_

_ Melinda nodded, and Dean just laughed, setting the test aside to take her in his arms, cradle her face in his hands and kiss her deeply. After a moment, he pulled back, keeping her face in his hands._

"_We're having a baby?"  
"Looks that way."  
"I love you."_

_ She meant to say it back, was going to, but he covered her mouth with his again, and she just decided she'd tell him later. _

_They were late for dinner that night, too._

* * *

"_Dean!"_

_ He ran in from the garage, motor oil staining his shirt._

"_What?"_

_ She was standing at the sink, her hands dripping water and bubbles from the dishes she'd been washing. She turned to look at him, blue eyes wide. He repeated himself._

"_Mel, what?"  
"It moved."_

_ Dean blinked._

"_What moved?"  
"The baby, you idiot!"_

_ He straightened, walking over to her._

"_Are you sure?"_

_ She blew out her breath as she reached and grabbed a dishtowel._

"_Yes, I'm sure! I was just standing here, and all of a sudden, it was like a … a fluttering. Like butterfly wings, right here."_

_ She took his hand, pressing it against the tiny belly she had. A moment passed, and she let out a laugh._

"_Did you feel it?!"_

_ Dean shook his head._

"_I didn't feel anything, Mel."_

_ She sighed, turning to face him._

"_It's moving, Dean. The baby—_our_ baby is moving."_

* * *

"_Dean. Are you asleep?"  
"Yes."  
"Well, wake up."_

_ He let out a groan, moving over to grip the pillow tighter. He heard an exasperated sigh behind him, then let out a curse as light flooded his sensitive eyes._

"_Damn it, Mel."  
"Are you awake now?"_

_ He sat up, giving an impressive yawn before turning to her._

"_Yes, my lovely wife. I am awake now. What can I do for you?"_

_ She bit her cheek, but smiled at him._

"_Give me your hand."_

_ Dean sighed, but did as she asked. She turned his hand, palm down, and laid it low on her belly. The belly was quite impressive now, and she could no longer button her jeans. She'd taken to stealing his, refusing to buy maternity pants, even at six months' along. Dean sighed. He knew what she was doing, and it never worked. Every time the baby would kick, or start moving, Melinda would yell for him, or run to him, grabbing his hand and clamping it on her belly. And as soon as he touched her, the baby would stop. _

"_Mel—"  
"Hang on."_

_ He let out a sigh, then snapped his head to her belly as he felt a tender thump against his hand. His eyes were wide as he met hers._

"_Was that…?"  
"Finally."_

_ His eyes stayed wide, his mouth open, as he brought his other hand to stretch across her stomach._

"_Hang on."_

_ Melinda grunted as she moved around, pulling the shirt—one she'd stolen from him—up over her belly. Dean stared at her bare skin, then laid his hands on it. She sucked in a breath at his touch, but he barely heard it. Melinda guided his hand to just above her hipbone, and he jumped as he felt another kick. Another followed quickly after, and he looked up to Melinda with a smile on his face. She was smiling back at him._

"_Guess who's not sleepy tonight?"_

_ She breathed a laugh as another kick hit Dean's hand._

"_We're active tonight. Oh, hey. I learned a trick today. Watch this."_

_ Melinda took his hand, moving it around, then gently pressing it into her belly. A second later, the baby kicked that spot. She moved his hand again, pressing down, smiling when the answering kick came._

"_I think she wants to play."  
"Maybe he does."_

_ Melinda smiled as she reached over to run a hand through Dean's hair. He kept staring at her stomach, gently pushing, smiling when he felt the baby. She kept running her fingers through his hair, talking softly._

"_I had a couple of sips of Peyton's Mountain Dew today. God, she went crazy!"_

_ Melinda laughed, causing Dean to smile._

"_I just … I can't believe I finally got to feel it. It's so …"  
"Awesome?"  
"Awesome!"_

_ Melinda laughed, reaching over to flick off the lights. She nestled down into the bed, and Dean moved close to her, keeping a hand on her stomach._

"_I love you, Mel."  
"Not as much as I love you, Winchester."  
"You'll go to hell for lying like that."_

_ Melinda's laugh rang out, then faded as she drifted off to sleep, a little kick against Dean's hand the last thing she registered._


	4. Chapter 4

**Here we are, the last chapter. Don't worry, there will be an epilogue to try and tie up the loose ends this chapter gives. **

* * *

Molly looked up from her spot on the floor, glancing around the big, cold room. She didn't know where she was, but she didn't want to be there. She wanted to be at home, with Mommy and Daddy and Hailey. A man kept coming in to check on her, and one time, he'd made her sit down and bend over, pushing all her hair over her face. She heard a click and looked up to see the man holding one of her curls in his hand.

Mama was going to be so mad at him. Especially if cutting off that curl made Molly's ponytail look funny. Molly remembered one time when she was little, before Hailey was even born, when she had found some scissors and cut off a piece of her hair. Mama had been … what had Nana called it? Furious. Molly wasn't sure what that meant, but when Mama had dropped her with Nana, letting Aunt Paris "fix" her hair, Nana had said that and laughed.

Molly missed her Nana. Aunt Paris too, even though she didn't get to see her a whole lot. But she missed her mama and daddy more. Molly was doing her best not to cry, but it was hard. She had to be strong, like Daddy always told her to. It was the Winchester way. She looked down at the crayons and the coloring book in her hands, breathing out a shaky breath. She thought back, to the last time she'd seen Uncle Sam, and what he'd told her.

"_I don't want you to go."_

_ Sam smiled as he looked down, seeing Molly's curls as her head was bowed, a pout on her face. He knelt in front of her, lifting her chin and smiling at her._

"_I know, kid. But I've got to."  
"Stupid job."_

_ Sam laughed, moving to press a kiss to Molly's temple._

"_I know you have to go, but I want you to come back soon."_

_ Sam smiled, taking Molly's hand._

"_I will, honey. And listen to me. No matter what happens, I will always be watching over you, okay? You might not be able to see me, but I'm there. You'll be safe, Mol, and I'll make sure of it."_

_ She threw her arms around him, squeezing tight._

Molly knew that Uncle Sam had told her the truth. He never lied to her, so she knew he'd been watching over her. He had to know she wasn't at home. He had to know something bad had happened, and he'd be there as soon as he could to help her. She nodded, then leaned over, coloring a picture of a princess that looked just like Hailey.

* * *

At three in the morning, Melinda's eyes flew open as she sat up in the bed. Her mother was right beside her, stroking her hair.

"Hey, kid. You're all right."

Melinda let out a breath, looking over at Piper.

"Dean. Where—where's Dean?"

Piper smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed, still stroking Melinda's hair.

"He went to talk to Darryl a little while ago. He couldn't sleep."

Melinda nodded.

"Any news?"

Piper's smile went sad.

"No, honey. Not yet."

Melinda closed her eyes, settling back on the pillows again. Piper took her hand as tears came to Melinda's eyes.

"It's been twelve hours, Mom. Twelve that we know for sure. I don't even know when she was…"

Melinda shook her head. Piper let out a sigh, patting her hand.

"I know, honey."

Leo stepped into the room, smiling when he saw Melinda.

"Hey, sweetheart."  
"Daddy, have we … Any other letters or anything?"

Leo's smile went sad, just like Piper's had, and he shook his head.

"Nothing yet."

Melinda scrubbed her hands over her face, sitting up. She walked past her parents, looking into Hailey's room. Phoebe was sitting in the rocking chair, just watching Hailey sleep. She smiled over at Melinda, who gave her a tiny smile, then walked away. She stepped into the kitchen, where Darryl was talking on the phone at the table, and Dean was looking out the window. She walked over to the window, seeing the moon high above the trees. Dean turned to see her, and she stepped close to him, letting him wrap his arm tightly around her as she laid her head against his shoulder.

"You let me sleep."  
"I couldn't bear to wake you up."

She breathed in, smelling a mixture of leather and motor oil, Old Spice, and Dean. He pressed a kiss to her forehead as his phone began to ring. Melinda's heart dropped, and Darryl stood up from the table. Piper and Leo stepped into the kitchen, and Dean swallowed as he answered the phone.

"Hello?"  
"_Dean, Richard Roman. It's a pleasure to finally speak with you."_

Dean looked back to Darryl, eyes wide and terrified.

"You listen to me, you son of a bitch—"  
_"No, you listen to me. I've got your little girl. Who's holding the cards here?"_

Dean swallowed.

"Let her go. Please, Roman, I—"  
"_Oh, don't beg. It's unsightly for a man such as yourself."_

Dean was shaking, could feel every muscle in his body pulled tight. His voice was low and gravelly, reminding him suddenly of his father.

"Roman, look. She ... she hasn't done anything wrong."  
_"You're right. She hasn't. She's an incredibly sweet little girl. You've done a good job with her._ _Or rather, your wife has."  
_"Then let her go."  
_"I can't do that."_

Dean closed his eyes, lifting his face.

"What is that you want, Roman?"  
_"Nothing that you can give me. I'm after your brother."  
_"You want Sam? Fine. Let Molly go and come get me. I won't put up a fight, I swear."  
_"Oh, how sweet. But you know that's not going to work."  
_"Damn it, just let her go! You can have me! I won't fight; I'll take a bullet with a smile."

Melinda fell into a chair, covering her mouth as she cried. Piper stood behind her, both hands on Melinda's shoulders, while Leo knelt in front of her. Their eyes, though, were watching Dean. He didn't even notice the tears rolling down his face. His hand was raking through his hair, and Darryl was leaned over an officer, who was typing furiously on a computer. Dean took in a shaking breath.

"Come on, man. You know Sam will come for me."  
_"Oh, I'm sure he would. If he wasn't already on his way here for your little girl. Try not to worry, okay? I'm sure one of them will make it home to you. Well, I hope so. Oh, and be sure to tell your little friends that this call is untraceable."  
_"Goddamn you, Roman, I swear—"  
_"Good chatting with you, Dean. Have a nice day."_

The line went dead as Darryl and his colleague sighed, hanging their heads. Dean threw his phone, unwittingly into the hands of a police officer who happened to step into the room, saving the phone from being smashed against the wall. The officer shook out his hand as he handed the phone to Darryl. Melinda's sob was the only thing that sounded, before she pushed out of her parents' embraces, going over to Dean. He turned to her, wet eyes widening as she pushed him with all her strength.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"  
"Mel—"

She pushed him again, this time making him hit the middle of his spine on the counter. He winced, but she kept on yelling, tears streaming down her face as she started to hit him in the chest with both fists.

"My daughter is missing—_our daughter is missing—_and you willingly tell the crazy bastard that has her that you'll take a bullet with a smile?!"  
"Mel, I had to try—"  
"I know you'd give anything to take her place, but Jesus! Damn you, Dean, I can't lose you, too!"

He caught her hands the next time she went to hit him, pulling her to him as she sobbed. She screamed into his chest as he held her, as everyone in the room hung their heads, silent tears streaming down their faces.

* * *

Molly looked up from her coloring as she heard a thump against the wall. Loud sounds were echoing all around her, and suddenly, she was so scared. She looked around, seeing a table in the corner of the room, with a little door under it. She bit her lip as she left her colors in the middle of the floor, going over and opening the little door. It was a tiny closet, just big enough for her to climb inside. She looked back at the door to the room, and once she heard someone yell, she climbed in the closet, pulling the door shut behind her.

The room was dark, and Molly did not like the dark at all. Bad things happened in the dark, all the dreams she'd had over the years had taught her that. But she knew that if she could just see one thing, that everything would be okay. She wanted to see the sun come up. When she did, it proved to her that bad things end, that the light makes everything okay again.

That's what her daddy had told her once. He'd stayed up with her all night long, while she cried from her nightmares, and he told her that if she could just make it until the sun came up, everything would be all right. That's why she watched it come up every morning. Because as long as the sun came up, everything would be okay.

Molly squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she was with her daddy, because he could make everything better. She wished her mama and Hailey would be there too, because only good things happened when they were all together.

* * *

Melinda stayed in Dean's arms, his hand stroking the back of her head. Darryl stepped over to them, running a hand over his face. Dean just stared at him, waiting for the inevitable bad news. Darryl sighed.

"We've been in contact with the FBI, and they've been in contact with some of Roman's known associates, as well as with Sam. And they, uh … They lost contact with Sam about an hour ago."

Dean's head fell back, and Melinda tightened her grip on him. Darryl sighed again.

"We're doing all we can, but …"

Dean nodded, pushing a smile through his tears.

"It's not enough, is it?"

Darryl looked up, tears in his own dark eyes, then turned away. Dean tightened his grip around Melinda, then spoke quietly.

"This can't be happening."  
"Shh, honey."  
"We can't—We can't lose both of them, Mel."

Dean let out a strangled sound as Melinda pulled back, reaching up to pull his face down, meeting his lips with hers.

"We won't. We're not losing anyone today, Dean."

Her blue eyes were determined, even with the tears falling from them. Dean stared at her as she put forth a smile.

"We're going to be okay, Dean. All of us."

* * *

Molly had her eyes squeezed shut tight, hearing her daddy sing her lullaby over and over again in her head. Someone would find her soon, and take her home. They had to. She had her knees pulled up, her arms wrapped around them, and she was rocking back and forth. She heard the big door open, and she froze, not even breathing.

"Molly?"

Her eyes opened. That was a voice she knew. She heard a groan, and the voice spoke again.

"Molly, sweetheart. Are you in here?"

She beat on the door of the closet, because there was no doorknob on the inside of it. She heard another groan, then felt the door open. She crawled back, just in case.

"Molly, are you—Hey."

At the sound of his voice, she scrambled out of the closet and into Sam's waiting arms. He let out a sigh, holding her tightly in one arm.

"Molly, Molly. Oh, baby. Hey there. Hey, sweetheart."

Molly was crying into his shoulder, and he ran a hand down her back.

"It's okay, Mol. Everything's okay now."

After a minute, she sat back on his knee. She rubbed her eyes, then let out a gasp.

"Uncle Sam, your shoulder's bleeding."

He smiled.

"Yeah, I know. It's okay, though. Are you okay?"

She nodded.

"The man cut my hair, but he didn't hurt me."

Sam let out a sigh and kissed her forehead. He went to stand up, letting out another groan, before a sound made him and Molly look to the door.

"Molly! Thank God."  
"Peyton?"

Molly and Sam spoke at the same time, both surprised. Peyton Halliwell, Phoebe's youngest daughter and Melinda's best friend, smiled as she walked in and knelt in front of them, taking Molly in her arms. She covered Molly's ear, pressing the other against her heart.

"Winchester, you're bleeding."  
"Yeah. It's just a flesh wound."  
"Looks like a bullet wound."  
"Oh, maybe so."

Sam grinned, as Peyton rolled her eyes.

"Let's get out of here."

Peyton stood up, keeping Molly in her arms. Sam groaned as he got to his feet, then tossed his good arm around Peyton's shoulders.

* * *

Melinda fixed coffee at five, handing out cups to anyone she saw. Dean sat at the table, his head in his hands, except when he took a sip of coffee. Darryl walked through the house, and Phoebe swapped places with Paige, who went to watch over Hailey as she slept.

Melinda sighed as she looked out the window. The moon was starting to disappear, and she knew the sun would be up soon. She tried not to feel the ache at that, but it was impossible. Dean spoke quietly, his voice laced with tears.

"I'm so sorry, Mel."

She looked back at him, at the phone sitting on the table beside him. He'd tried to call Sam, at his emergencies only number, but there had been no answer. He'd done everything he could to get in touch with his brother, and to no avail. Melinda shook her head.

"Don't."

She walked over to the table, standing behind him, running a hand over his shoulder.

"Don't give up, Dean. There's still a chance they're … Just don't give up yet. Please."

Tears slid down her face as she bent to press her cheek against his, wrapping an arm around his neck. Darryl came running in the kitchen, a frantic look on his face.

"Outside. Get outside, now."

Dean stood up, taking Melinda's hand in his as her family ran into the kitchen. Leo walked over and pushed open the backdoor, and they walked out. The wind was fierce, whipping Melinda's hair into her face.

"Oh my God."

Melinda looked back at Phoebe, then up, her heart stopping when she saw the helicopter. She grabbed onto Dean, clutching his shirt as he put his arms around her. They could barely hold their eyes open as the chopper landed, as, to the shock of everyone there, Peyton climbed out. Melinda spoke, having to yell to be heard.

"What the hell is she doing?! What is …"

Her sentence trailed off as Peyton turned back, holding out a hand, helping a giant step out of the helicopter. A giant who held something in his big arms. Melinda stopped breathing when she realized that it was Sam, and in his arms was—

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Sam knelt down, and Molly took off running. Dean and Melinda ran as fast as they could, Melinda scooping Molly into her arms as she let out loud sobs. Dean wrapped them both in his arms, kissing Molly's head as tears streamed down his face. Sam jogged over, one shoulder bandaged, his arm in a sling, ushering them back as the helicopter rose and flew away. Melinda was clutching Molly close, crying hard, as the family rushed over to them. Melinda was finally able to speak, pushing Molly's curls out of her face.

"Molly! Oh, sweetheart. Are you okay?"

Molly nodded.

"Uncle Sam saved me."

Melinda looked over at him, letting out a laughing sob as she pressed her forehead to Molly's. Dean stepped over, embracing Sam tightly, tears streaming down his face. Sam patted Dean's back, both of them saying more with their eyes than words ever could say. Melinda handed Molly over to Dean, who held her tighter than he ever had as Melinda went to hug Sam.

"Oh, Sammy… What happened?"

He pulled back, smiling, wiping a tear from Melinda's face.

"We can talk about it later. Right now, there's something we have to see."

Melinda stepped back, a curious expression on her face, until Sam pointed behind her. She turned, as did Dean and Molly, followed by the rest of the family. Melinda let out a laugh as light began to spread through the sky. Molly lifted her head from Dean shoulder, smiling at him.

"Look, Daddy! The sun's coming up."  
"I see."

Dean shook his head as Melinda stepped up, wrapping an arm around him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Melinda let out another laugh, running a hand through Molly's curls.

"Isn't it beautiful?"


	5. Epilogue

**Well, here it is! Here's the epilogue, closing out my shortest story yet! Hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for reading. ;)**

* * *

Breaking into the warehouse where Molly was held had almost been too easy. Sam had a team of himself and three stealthy agents who slipped in and out without anyone ever noticing. The man overseeing Molly's kidnapping, the one who had called Dean, was not Dick Roman. Sam was fairly sure Roman had masterminded the plot, leaving one of his flunkies in charge. Not that it mattered. Sam had killed the man anyway, taking a bullet through the shoulder in the process.

Molly had slept the entire helicopter ride from Vancouver, where she'd been taken, to San Francisco. She'd woken up only when Sam had lifted her with one arm, carrying her out of the chopper, setting her down to let her run to her parents. She'd slept through Peyton fussing over him, cleaning out his shoulder, double-checking that the bullet had gone through-and-through.

Molly had also slept through the searing kiss Sam had trapped Peyton in, once she'd wrapped his arm in what seemed like a pound of gauze.

But that was a different story.

* * *

For the first three weeks after she'd been returned home, Melinda and Dean refused to let Molly out of their sight. Melinda would hover around the school, while Dean was damn near useless at the garage. Neither one of them really needed to work, since Melinda had an impressive trust fund from an old relative of her dad's, and Sam made sure Dean, as well as his daughters, were well taken care of.

When the fourth week rolled around, when Molly was starting to roll her eyes at the thought of going anywhere with one or both of her parents on her heels, Piper stepped in. She cornered Melinda in the kitchen, using Hailey as a very effective means of bait.

"Mommy, Nana wants us to spend the night with her!"

Melinda had put on a smile, turning from the counter to see her younger daughter with a big smile on her little face.

"Nana wants who to spend the night with her?"

It wasn't uncommon for Hailey to speak of her stuffed animals as if they were real. Her three-year-old world had few friends, many of which were stuffed and inanimate. Hailey sighed, pushing dark blonde hair from her face.

"Me and Molly, Mama."

Melinda's eyes had widened, looking up to Piper.

"Mom, can I speak with you for a moment?"

Piper had smiled, patting Hailey on the head.

"Go on, sweetheart, and pack your bag. Tell Molly to get one, too."

Melinda was shaking her head when Piper faced her again, once Hailey had run out of the room on her tiptoes. Piper held up a hand.

"You're smothering them, Mel."  
"My daughter was taken by a psychopath, missing without a trace for around fourteen hours. Forgive me for wanting to make sure she was safe."  
"Don't get an attitude with me, Melinda."

Melinda sighed, looking back to her mother.

"Mom, I'm just—"  
"Going to lose your mind if you don't relax. She's been home for nearly a month, absolutely fine. No nightmares?"

Melinda shook her head. There hadn't been a chance for Molly to have a nightmare, since she slept wrapped up in Dean's arms every night. Melinda slept holding Hailey, always waking up holding Dean's hand, or feeling him run his fingers through her hair. They talked, laughed some, but their time was mainly spent watching their daughters. Piper smiled.

"She hasn't said anything about when she was taken?"

Melinda shook her head again. Molly had spoken about it when she first got home, talking about a strange man who didn't hurt her, just cut her hair. One baby-fine curl from underneath her head, close to the nape of her neck. She made sure to emphasize the man had cut it, not her. She stayed close to Sam, who was staying with them while he recuperated from his gunshot wound, sleeping in the spare bedroom in the back, on a bed big enough for his hulking frame.

"Hasn't the therapist said you need to go on about your lives, find a sense of normalcy?"  
"The 'therapist' is Jenny, Mom. Come on!"

Jenny Mitchell, Melinda's cousin, her Aunt Paige's daughter, was the family's go-to for advice, someone to ease their worry, or just to talk. With her dark, gentle eyes and flaming red hair, she was easy to talk to, a great listener. She was also a licensed family therapist. Piper sighed.

"And I know Jen said that you all need to get back to normal. What's more normal than spending the night at Grandma's?"  
"I thought you hated being referred to as 'Grandma.'"  
"It's a metaphor, Mel. And don't change the subject."

Melinda let out a sigh, running her hands through her long blonde hair. Molly and Hailey appeared in the kitchen, with their bags in their hands and big smiles on their faces. Molly's smile had a gap in the bottom, where she'd just recently lost her first tooth. Melinda couldn't help but smile as Molly spoke.

"Mama, Hailey said we're spending the night at Nana's. Are we really?"

Melinda sighed again, but nodded her head.

"I guess so."

Molly and Hailey cheered, and Piper ushered them into the living room. She stepped over to Melinda, pushing a strand of hair behind Melinda's ear.

"I've also taken the liberty of talking to a certain gigantic brother-in-law of yours, who has agreed to help Leo and Coop fix up the attic. They need someone to reach the high shelves."  
"Mom, he was just shot!"  
"And he's recuperating quite nicely, says Dr. Matt."

Matthew Mitchell, Aunt Paige's son, was a doctor in the emergency room at the local hospital. He was the go-to guy for any medical issues a member of the family might run into, especially so for Sam, who had an aversion to hospitals. Melinda let out another sigh, which turned into a gasp as she batted her mother's hand away.

"I can see exactly what you're doing."  
"What?"

Piper's face was calm and innocent. Melinda shook her head.

"You are meddling, and you promised you wouldn't!"  
"Hey, that was before … Well, before. Sometimes, God love you, you just need a kick in the right direction. He'll be home in a few minutes, and you two can have all night to sort things out. I'll call you in the morning."

Piper pressed a kiss to Melinda's cheek, then walked to the living room. Melinda followed, kneeling down to be covered in a flurry of hugs and kisses. As if on cue, Dean stepped in the door, laughing at the chorus of "Daddy!" and the flurry of hugs and kisses that floated over to him. He gave Melinda a curious expression, until Hailey took hold of his face in her little hands. He hadn't shaved in nearly a week, and the girls were both fascinated by his beard.

"We're spending the night with Nana. Don't do nothing fun without us."  
"I wouldn't dream of it."

Hailey rubbed her hands over his cheeks, wrinkling her nose at the prickly feeling of his beard. She giggled as Dean pretended to bite at her, and Molly wrapped him in a hug, kissing his cheek above the beard before taking Hailey's hand and leading her out behind Piper. The door closed, leaving Dean and Melinda staring at it. They heard Piper's car start and back out of the driveway, watched the trail of dust it left behind. Melinda swallowed as Dean turned to her.

"You think they're ready for this?"  
"They were so excited. I just couldn't say no."

Dean nodded, then let a smile cross his face.

"Do you think we're ready for this?"

Melinda smiled as she shook her head.

"I know I'm not."  
"Yeah, me either."

Melinda let out a laugh as Dean smiled, glancing out the window again. She heard him whisper under his breath that they would be fine, and a soft smile crossed her face.

"Hey."

He turned at the gentle sound of her voice, meeting her smile with one of his own. She took in a breath.

"You hungry?"

* * *

They ate dinner, and Dean cleaned up after Melinda cooked. She stood on the little porch in the backyard, sipping a cool glass of wine, and Dean held a beer in his hand when he joined her.

"It's pretty out here."

Melinda smiled, nodded.

"Peaceful, too."

Dean nodded, taking a long pull from his beer. He looked over at Melinda, his breath catching in his throat as the last few rays of sunlight played across her face. She shut her eyes, as if trying to soak in the last of the sunshine, and Dean felt something pierce his heart. God, he was so in love with her. She was so beautiful, and good, just everything he'd ever wanted.

"Mel, I—"

She opened her eyes, turning to him. Her eyes softened, and she set her wine glass down on the little table on the porch.

"What? Honey, what is it?"

Dean shook his head. He drained his beer, setting it beside her glass, then going to grip the railing on the porch. Melinda stood back, watching him, biting gently on her bottom lip.

"Dean?"

He shook his head again, tightening his grip on the railing. Melinda glanced around, letting out a breath, and Dean turned to face her.

"I want to come home, Mel."

Blue eyes blinked at him.

"You are home."  
"No, I mean…"

He let out a breath, unable to take his eyes away from hers. It was so easy for him to let himself get lost in those beautiful pools of blue. But he forced himself to speak.

"I want us to … to be 'us' again. I want to come home and be your husband, in—in every sense of the word. I know we've still got some stuff to work through, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes, but Mel… I want to come home. Let me come home."

She was breathing hard, as he ran his hand over his chin.

"Dean, I …"

She looked over at him, letting out a long sigh, shrugging her shoulders.

"I thought you were already home. You—you stay here every night, and I wash your clothes, you eat with us."

She smiled, shrugging her shoulders again.

"We've been so … I don't know, caught up, maybe? Everything with Molly, making sure she's okay. Obsessively watching over her. I just … I thought you'd come back already."

Dean was staring at her, and Melinda swallowed, keeping the smile on her face as she stepped over to him, lifting a hand and running her fingertips along his beard.

"If you want the words…"  
"I need to hear you say it."

Melinda smiled, laying both hands on his face, cradling it. Dean's eyes, which had fluttered closed when she was barely touching him, now opened, looking straight into hers.

"Come home. Stay here with me and our babies. It was so stupid for you move out in the first place. I love you, and I want you here with me. With us, as a family. I want you here."

She stepped in closer, and Dean's arms automatically surrounded her.

"I need you here. I need you."

She went up on her toes, keeping his face in her hands, pressing her lips to his. She felt Dean's hands tighten on her hips before they slid up her back, keeping her close to him. After a moment, she pulled back, smiling.

"That's got to go, though."

He laughed as he pulled her back to him. Melinda sighed as she relaxed against him, and he felt her hand cup the back of his head. He let out a ragged sigh, feeling Melinda's hand slide up into his hair. She lifted her head from his shoulder, moving to his ear, making him bite back a moan as she whispered to him.

"Take me to bed, Dean."

He swept her up into his arms, feeling her breath against his neck as she laid her head on his shoulder. He carried her through the house before laying her on the bed. Their bed. He shrugged off his flannel outer shirt, then reached back and pulled his white t-shirt over his head. Melinda sucked in a breath as he moved over her, reaching up to run her hands over the defined muscles in his abdomen.

"Dean."

He smiled. Apparently, his unable-to-sleep-might-as-well-do-push-ups-or-sit-u ps-or-whatever-the-hell-he-felt-like-pushing-his-b ody-to-do was working out for him. Melinda let her hands slide around and Dean pulled her up, sitting her in front of him. He took hold of her shirt, pulling it over her head. He bent to press his mouth to hers, letting his hand slide down, trying not to worry about the way her ribs were more defined than he remembered. Her hipbones, too. He pulled back from her, moving to lay both of his hands at her hips. She looked up at him, biting her lip.

"Mel, honey."

A soft, sad smile crossed her face. She shrugged her shoulders as Dean's eyes closed, as he came back over her, taking her into his arms, covering her with his body.

"I'm here now."

Tears leapt to her eyes, and Melinda tried to blink them away. She held him tightly, gently placing kisses on his skin. He quickly removed the rest of their clothes, making love to his wife in a way he never had before, slow and gentle, soaking in every touch, every sound she made. And when he gripped her hands, her name the only sound on his lips, Melinda couldn't stop the tears from falling.

* * *

Melinda had a soft smile on her face, basking in the feel of being back in Dean's arms. He'd pulled the covers up over them before he pulled her to him, drifting off to sleep close to an hour ago. She was running the very tips of her fingers over the arm that was draped across her stomach. Dean made a noise in his sleep as his hand started moving. Melinda smiled, moving slightly to link her fingers in his. He let out a sigh, settling back down, and the smile on Melinda's face widened. They lay like that for a while, until Melinda let go of his hand. Dean let out a whine, making her laugh, and she pushed at him until he rolled onto his back. His eyes opened as she climbed over him.

"Hey, sleepyhead."

He smiled as he looked up at her, his voice low, grumbly, and sleepy.

"Why'd you let me sleep?"

Melinda smiled.

"Because you sound like that when you wake up."

She bent down, kissing him as he lifted his hands, pushing her hair up. She pulled back, tossing her hair over her shoulders, and Dean let out a groan. And when she bent down, pressing her lips against his thundering heart, a shudder ran through his body. And they picked up right where they'd left off.

* * *

It was late that night—or early that morning, depending on which way you looked at it—when Dean and Melinda made their way into the kitchen. She wore his flannel shirt, which was ridiculously long on her slim frame. Even so, Dean knew he would never be able to wear that shirt again without seeing her in it the way that she was then.

She made them a sandwich, peanut butter and jelly with the crusts cut off, making Dean smile. She slid up on the counter to eat her half, while Dean leaned against the counter next to her. She'd noticed that ever since they'd gotten Molly back, whenever they were in the same room together, Dean wouldn't stray very far from her. Within arms' reach, at least. She smiled, catching his eye as he glanced over at her, smiling around the bite he'd just taken, and she laughed.

"Oh, guess what Miss Molly told me."  
"What?"  
"She thinks Uncle Sam likes Aunt Peyton."

Dean gave her a look, and she nodded.

"I know. That's what I thought. So I asked her what made her think that, and listen to this."

Melinda moved closer to him, and Dean unknowingly reached over, playing with the ends of her hair, twirling the strands around his fingers. Melinda smiled.

"She said that when Peyton found them, she had this look on her face, like she was real worried about Sam, since he had the bullet hold through his shoulder, you know?"

Dean nodded, and Melinda went on.

"Then she said that Sam had smiled like he'd been real happy to see her, and on the helicopter ride—"  
"Which she still won't shut up about."

Melinda smiled, and Dean couldn't help but do the same.

"Right. On the chopper, they must have thought she was asleep. But she said, 'Mama. You should have seen the kiss Uncle Sam gave Aunt Peyton! It was just like in the movies.'"  
"You're kidding me."

Melinda shook her head.

"You know how sneaky she is. Gets that from you."

Dean laughed, wiping the crumbs off of his hands before balling up the napkin and tossing it in the trash.

"So let me guess. Someone wants to play matchmaker."

Melinda wrinkled her nose up, looking just like Hailey.

"It won't be playing. I'm just helping them to act on something they obviously both want."

Dean nodded, moving to stand in between Melinda's legs. She smiled at him, balling up her own napkin and tossing it to the trash, making it in.

"Two points."  
"Nah, that was at least a three."

Melinda smiled, looping her arms around his neck. Dean nuzzled in close to her, making her giggle when his beard tickled her skin. Melinda let out a happy sigh, running her fingers through his hair.

"I missed this. I missed you."  
"I missed you, too."

Melinda giggled again, his voice muffled from his spot at her neck. Where he was currently pressing his lips and tongue. She let out a sigh, then spoke.

"Winchester, you give me a hickey, and you're explaining it to the little ones."

He pulled back, pushing his lower lip out in a pout. Melinda laughed, moving her arms to his shoulders, looking him in the eye.

"However, if you wanted to give me a few in some hidden places…"  
"I was just thinking that _exact_ same thing."

Melinda laughed, pressing a kiss to his forehead. He moved to look at her, moving a hand to cup her cheek, running his thumb across her cheekbone. She leaned into his touch, murmuring quietly.

"I don't ever want to move from this spot."

Dean smiled.

"I know, babe. But we have to. We've got the munchkins, and I've got to move back."  
"What?"

He smiled again as she opened her eyes to look at him.

"All my shit's at that apartment, Mel."  
"Leave it. We can buy you new shit."

Dean threw his head back with a laugh, pulling Melinda close, kissing her lips. He ran his hands through her hair.

"I love you."

Her eyes opened again, and she blinked at him, then smiled.

"I love you, too."

Dean put his hands under her thighs, lifting her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He carried her back to the bedroom, pushing the door shut with his foot before he laid her on the bed.

* * *

Dean had woken up after that last, very impressive round on his stomach, half-hanging off the bed. Melinda was sound asleep, looking quite comfortable in the middle of the bed. He knew exactly who their youngest daughter had inherited her need to take up every inch of the space she was sleeping on from, but he would never say that to her mother.

Dean somehow found the strength to move, fixing the covers around them, scooting Melinda over, then rolling her into his arms. She had her head on his chest and he was running his fingers through her hair. One of her arms was looped around his stomach, and he had his arm covering hers. He was looking out the window, and he smiled when she shifted in his arms. She looked up at him, and he bent to press his lips to hers. Melinda moved back, laying her head on his shoulder, and he went back to playing with her hair.

"You let me sleep."  
"Not long enough. You can go back. I'm not going anywhere."

Melinda smiled, laying her hand on his chest.

"Maybe in a few minutes."

Dean smiled, lifting her up, making her smile as he kissed her again. The make-out session got kind of heated, until he stopped.

"Mel. Look, babe."

Melinda pushed her hair back from her face, rubbing the spot where his beard had been rubbing her chin. She turned back to see what Dean was talking about, smiling when she did.

"The sun's coming up."

Dean smiled at her as he nodded, and as she moved back over him, she started singing softly.

"_Here comes the sun, mm-mm-mm-mm_. _Here comes the sun and I say, it's alright."_


End file.
